Trials and Tribulations
by missblueeyes63
Summary: Sequel to More Than Just Friends. Sam, Spike and Jules all need to heal from wounds both physical & emotional received at the hands of Vlad, Dupont & Logan. How do they cope and make it back to Team One? What comes of the assault charge on Sam? Does Sam testify at Dupont's trial, if so what are the ramifications? How do caring family & friends help out? More summary in 1st chapter.
1. Sanctuary

**Trials and Tribulations**

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _Sequel to More Than Just Friends._ _Sam, Spike and Jules all need to heal from wounds both physical and emotional received at the hands of Vlad, Dupont and Logan. How do they cope and make it back to Team One? What comes of the assault charge on Sam? Does Sam testify at Dupont's trial, if so what are the ramifications? How do caring family and friends help out?_

 _Sam is charged with assault of Dupont and has to deal with the repercussions. He has deal with Dupont's Trial. Will he need to testify against Dupont? Can he? He struggles with being dependent on others to get around. He feels guilt for not being able to be there to protect Jules. Nightmares are back._

 _Jules is knocked for a loop by the attack. She suffers from nightmares and loses her confidence. She has to deal with her brothers wanting back into her life and opening old wounds. She feels guilt for not being there to protect Sam from Dupont._

 _Spike continues to have nightmares. But now they not only are about Sam dying but Jules being attacked. He feels intense guilt because he did not fully set up the alarm system for Jules. He is having trouble with his shooting arm and wonders if he can make it back to the team._

 _The three of them work to support one another through their trials and tribulations with the additional support of extended family and friends._

 _ **Setting:**_ _Sequel to_ _More Than Just Friends_ _, picks up where it left off._ _This story will be Sam, Jules and Spike centric with story lines for all of them. Away from Greg and Ed there will be opportunity for some JAM without letting the secret out. There will be less Greg, Ed, and Wordy but they won't be missing completely. It will include OCs in supporting roles not the major focus._

 _ **A/N:**_ _ **Special thank you**_ _to_ _ **venetiaj**_ _and_ ** _VictoriaAnnxx_** _ **.**_ _You gals are absolutely awesome. Your continued reviews and many PMs really help me craft the stories. Thanks for being so engaged in the stories, great sounding boards, offering me ideas and being just plain fabulous._

 _ **Also**_ _ **thanks to all my readers that provide me input.**_ _It encourages me to keep writing. I love reading the reviews and PMs_ _. I won't lie Reviews do make my day. I appreciate it when you take a moment of your time to drop me one telling me you enjoyed it. Totally love it when you tell me a particular part that moved you too._

 _I do not own Flashpoint or any of the characters from that series. I do own my original characters (OC)._

* * *

 **Sanctuary**

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – General's Study**_

General Braddock sat wearily but tensely in his leather chair at his desk in his study. He had gotten everyone situated or at least delegated that to capable hands. He needed a moment alone in his sanctuary to get his bearings. Everything had gone to hell in a hand basket today.

Taking a long drink of now cold coffee he was amazed at just how stupid some people were. Not just stupid but opportunistic and sleazy. He had been floored to hear that Dupont had lawyered up so quickly.

Apparently some ambulance chasing bottom feeder lawyer had been in the Physical Therapy department meeting with a client when the commotion began. He immediately assumed Dupont was the victim. Little did that scumbag know but his client was more of a scumbag and he would rue the day he took Dupont on as a client.

That scumbag lawyer set in motion things that had hurt Samuel. Braddock leaned back and stared at the ceiling. Ah Christ, that shit for brains Captain Brunello of the Metro PD and his damned worry about perception rather than fact. He had jumped the gun and arrested Samuel based solely on the accusations of that idiot lawyer.

His order to cuff Samuel had such destructive effects on Samuel. It also hurt two of Samuel's best friends. The looks on Heather's and Jim's faces when he arrived at the recovery room with Dr. Mallard had been very upsetting. He vowed that when he was finished ripping Captain Brunello a new one Brunello would wish he had never listened to the crap spewed by that lawyer and ordered Samuel cuffed.

He mentally made a list of all he needed to do. First thing, call Yvonne and fess up to what he had been up to the past few days and how he had failed Samuel yet again. He needed to arrange for her to return from London. God he hoped she was back to one hundred percent. He needed her. She would know exactly what was needed for Samuel, Spike and Jules.

His mind wandered to Jules. He was glad Heather was able to come. Jules would need a woman around after what happened to her. Hopefully Yvonne would be here before Heather had to leave. Yvonne would know how to comfort her. And boy did she need it. Jules had been so very jumpy. On the flight here he had seen creases of worry in Parker's face.

The General knew they all treated each other as family but he could see Jules meant more to Parker. She was much more to him than an officer under his command or good friend. The fatherly protectiveness towards her was different than the brotherly affection the other guys showed. He had taken Parker aside and assured him Jules would be well looked after here.

Greg had told him he appreciated the offer to bring Jules here to recuperate too. Parker felt that returning to her home so soon after the attack would be difficult for Jules. Especially given the completely rattled state she was in. Christ she had panicked and grabbed a nurse, a clear indicator she was not okay. Luckily the nurse was only concerned for Jules well-being and asked that they all just ignore the incident. She told them all it was her fault for not announcing herself to Jules and she should have known better.

Second order of business was to contact the family and apprise them of the situation. He was not naïve. There was a shit storm of media coming their way. Someone was bound to leak Samuel's name. When that happened people would start digging into why Samuel attacked Dupont. It would all come out, every last sordid detail. It was time to circle the Braddock clan wagons.

Third order of business was to contact the family lawyer. He could see the writing on the wall now. The media had already tried and convicted the 'officer' who that attacked the 'poor head of security'. God he hated the media almost more than that bottom-feeding, scum sucking, sleazy lawyer and Captain Brunello.

William decided he could no longer put off the call to Yvonne. He pulled out his phone and called her.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Jules's Room**_

Greg, Ed and Heather sat with Jules. Heather checked her vitals and then turned to Greg "Everything looks good. She should be waking shortly. The doctor the General arranged will be up once he finishes with Sam." She adjusted the covers and the pillow under her casted arm.

Ed sat in a chair that had been brought in from the dining room watching Heather and Jules. He was lost in thoughts of all that had occurred today. How the hell did the day go so wrong? It had started out so good. Well not so good but at least Sam was laughing with his dad. They had no clue just how much crap was going to hit the fan.

He looked at Jules and voiced his thoughts "We shouldn't have left you alone." Guilt was raging through him. If Logan was not already dead he would have killed him. How dare he attack Jules? Then a small smile tugged at the edge of one corner of Ed's mouth. Logan paid the ultimate price for messing with Jules. He was proud of how well she fought the bastard.

However, that did not assuage the guilt he felt for not being there when she needed them. He looked up at Heather who was now sitting close to the bed. He was glad she was there. He was sure Jules could use a woman to talk to when she woke up. No way in hell she would want to talk to any of the guys about what happened to her.

Greg heard Ed's soft spoken words and completely agreed. Looking at Jules in the double bed Greg thought Jules looked so small and vulnerable. His heart was twisted in knots. Until now he had stayed professional making sure everything was handled. Now he was letting himself feel and it hurt. The daughter of his heart had nearly been raped and murdered by a deranged man.

Thank goodness Connor had been there. That thought stirred up the guilt he felt for not being there. Logically he knew there was nothing he could have done. If it had not happened today it would have happened another day because Logan had fixated on Jules.

He shook his head at the thought of how odd it was that Team One was directly involved in two cases being investigated by Connor. As much as he liked Connor and appreciated what he had done for Jules today he hoped never to see the man again. Not because he didn't like him, just because his family seemed to be targets of cases he worked. Well at least the last two anyways.

Greg saw Jules beginning to stir. He moved forward and sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand. "Jules. Jules can you open your eyes?"

Jules felt the soft bed and pillows. Her head was pounding. She heard Greg's voice. She slowly opened her eyes. She blinked several times but still saw two Sarge's. Then the nausea hit full force.

Heather registered the look on Jules face and immediately turned her to the side. She held the kidney shaped plastic emesis basin under her chin. When Jules was done she gently wiped her face.

Greg held a glass of water "Jules take a small sip."

Jules allowed Greg to tip a small amount of water into her mouth and she swished and spit. She laid back on the pillows and moaned softly. She felt like she had to be sick again but it hurt her head too much so she tried to breathe through the feeling and quell the sensation. After a few breathes it quieted down.

She attempted to open her eyes again. She looked around her somewhat disoriented at the double visage of everything around her "Where?"

"You are at General Braddock's home in Ottawa. Do you remember us telling you we were coming here?" Greg asked.

Jules blinked several times and the doubles were beginning to merge into one. She saw she was in a room decorated in soft sage green and cream. It was soothing to the eyes. Collecting her thoughts the events of earlier today started to emerge. She began to feel both wariness and worry.

The attack left her feeling scared, vulnerable and jumpy. Her eyes automatically flicked around the room looking for danger. She finally saw both Ed and Heather were in the room too along with the Boss. Then she recalled what Greg had told her about Sam and why they were leaving.

"Sam. Is Sam okay?" Jules asked looking at Greg concern plastered on her face.

Greg patted her hand and said "He's in good hands. Jim, Spike and Wordy are with him. Also a doctor the General arranged. Sam will be okay." Giving her hand a slight squeeze he asked "How are you feeling?"

Jules's sad eyes looked at Greg's fatherly concerned eyes and honestly answered "I'm fine."

Ah crap both Ed and Greg thought. Greg gathered Jules into a hug and she let loose on tears again.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Sam's Room**_

Spike sat in a large comfortable chair sipping a ginger ale. The guys had said he was too wired to have any caffeine and refused to let him have any coffee. They were right and if they asked him how he was doing he would have to answer 'fine'. He was glad they didn't ask.

As he sat there he was lost in thought totally ignoring Jim and the doctor as they were speaking. His mind was on what happened at the hospital. After hearing what happened to Sam he had completely freaked out.

Ed and Wordy had to pull him back from yelling at the officer that was playing the video game. He had backed the officer into a corner and ripped the phone from his hand. He had thrown it with such force the damned thing shattered into hundreds of pieces. Spike could not recall exactly what he had said to the man. He really didn't care. The thoughtlessness of those officers was beyond pale.

Glancing over at Sam his heart wrenched. He recalled too easily the night in the hospital several years ago when Sam had panicked thinking he was back in that terrorist's hell hole. From Heather's description this had been much worse. Sam had struggled so fiercely he had dislocated his shoulder trying to get out of the restraints. Thank god Heather was there and sedated him quickly.

Spike thought that both Sam and Jules needed caring people around them right now. What happened to both was horrible. He couldn't get the conjured images out of his head. Thank god Heather and Jim were able to come with them to the General's home. They were prefect for the job.

Heather had hesitated at first when General Braddock asked her to come. She wanted to but she had to take care of their kids. Ed saw her hesitation and had called Sophie. Heather had been relieved when Sophie offered to take care of their kids until they returned.

Still staring at Sam Spike thought he looked peaceful right now. But how would Sam react when he woke up here? Would he still think he was being tortured?

Christ he hoped not. That would be too much to bear. Spike glanced at Jim when he heard a sharp tone but didn't register what was said when the thought of beauty entered his head. Crap he did not have beauty. After the Langley Towers call he had transferred beauty to a newer device but Sam had not needed it since. He had stopped carrying beauty. It was in his drawer in the tech lab.

Spike was wondering if he should call Holleran and ask him to overnight it here when he started becoming more aware of what was going on in the room. He heard and registered the doctor's arrogant words. Spike turned his head and frowned at the doctor.

Wordy was pacing in the room. He was half listening to Jim as he tried to get the doctor to understand Sam's unique needs to control pain and how to handle him. The doctor was argumentative and Jim was clearly becoming agitated at the doctor's refusal to listen to him. When the doctor condescendingly said "You are just a medic. I have more education than you do. I will prescribe the right course of treatment and medications." Wordy could no longer take it.

He stopped pacing and scowled at the doctor. He barked "Shut up and listen to Jim. I don't give a rats-ass how much education you think you have. Jim has had Sam's back for years and knows more than you can imagine on what is best for him. If you know what's good for you, you will follow what he tells you. Otherwise you will have one pissed off General, five pissed off SRU officers and one very pissed off mother if you don't. Don't even get me started on how many pissed of JTF2 soldiers you will have on your ass. I don't think you could survive that."

The doctor stared at him dumbfound for a moment but then his defenses kicked in. Haughtily he retorted "I'm more qualified than a mere paramedic. I went to the most prestigious medical school. In my training that is the wrong approach and definitely the wrong type of pain meds. It is not standard protocol it is …"

Wordy took three strides and was in the doctor's face fists clenched at his side fighting the urge to lash out physically. "Sam has too much shit to deal with right now. The last thing he needs is an incompetent, egotistical, horse's ass for a doctor. GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE NOW!"


	2. Out Of His Element

**Out Of His Element**

* * *

 _ **Four Days Later – General Braddock's Home – Family Room**_

"General William Braddock you are so totally out of your element. Fearsome Commander of Special Forces completely at a loss what to do in this situation. Not so badass now are you?" he quietly criticized himself as he walked into the family room.

He stopped speaking aloud but not his silent musings when he saw that it contained two of the three subdued, despondent people in his care. Although there was a movie on the TV neither Spike or Jules appeared to be engaged with it.

After the past four days all three of his charges wore a similar expression of utter exhaustion with dark circles under their eyes. Samuel, Jules and Spike were all completely disengaged and lost in their own heads. All three had been like this for four days.

None of them spoke more than a few necessary words and only when asked a direct question. None of them initiated conversation. The General raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. He needed Yvonne here. He was so totally out of his element. He had no idea how to help them. His go to strategy of giving orders just didn't work in this case. God he needed Yvonne.

He had been on his own mostly to deal with it all and he was doing a piss poor job he thought. Thank god Yvonne would be home in a few hours. She had wanted to come home as soon as he called her but her doctor would not allow her to travel for several days. Yvonne insisted she was one hundred and ten percent good but followed her doctor's advice when William put his foot down. Her health was important to him and he would not risk it, even if he desperately needed her here.

And he desperately needed her here. The General slowly walked to the recliner and sank down into it. He was way out of his depth and he was exhausted physical and mentally. Truth be told his face probably looked much like Samuel's, Jules's and Spike's.

That first night home when Wordy exploded at the doctor had been the first in a long series of crappy things. The doctor had the gall to come and whine to him about following a mere paramedics orders. After reading the doctor the riot act and threatening to demote the man if he could not see reason he finally dismissed the arrogant prick.

He wished the doctor was actually in his chain of command so he could demote him. But he had done the only thing he could do. He had called the doctor's Commanding Officer and demanded the man send a doctor with some sense. However, they did not fare well with the second doctor either. He was an arrogant ass too.

In absolute frustration William had called Dr. Fraser at Jim's suggestion. Dr. Fraser was happy to help out. He called in prescriptions as needed and then contacted a friend he knew at Ottawa General. Yesterday just before Jim had to leave Dr. Alejandro Tarella arrived and did an initial physical assessment on Samuel, Spike and Jules. He was more than willing to follow Jim's advice for Samuel. Finally one thing sorted out.

Luckily Jim had been able to stay an extra day. He didn't know what he would have done otherwise. Jim had been very helpful with getting the doctor situation handled.

Heather on the other hand had to leave with Greg, Ed and Wordy the day after they arrived. One of her kids became ill and she could not stand to be away. Not that he blamed her in any way. Her children came first as it should be. But Jules had been left in a household full of males. That was not good given her current state.

He had contacted the nursing agency that sent over the male nurse for Samuel to get a female one for Jules. General Braddock felt like they became a magnet for idiots. The nurse they sent over was a battleax of the highest order. Why the hell she was in nursing? She had not a single comforting feature or gesture about her. She was more Nurse Ratched than anything else.

The first evening, well really the only evening, the battleax was here she had shouted at Jules when her shaky hands dropped a cup of broth. He had come running at the shout wondering what happened and if Jules was okay. He arrived in time to hear the nurse grumbling and telling Jules she was a nurse not a maid and that Jules better not make another mess because this was the only time she was changing the sheets.

William had nearly come unglued. He sent the battleax packing with a few very loud choice words. The battleax left in a hurry with her tail tightly tucked between her legs. The second nurse they sent was okay but Jules refused the woman entry to her room.

The damage had been done and Jules did not trust the nurse. So he sent her packing too. He had thought at that point Jules was probably better off without a nurse who was only in it for a paycheck. Jim had taken over doing the medical checks on Jules assessing the state of her concussion until Dr. Tarella took over yesterday.

For the past three days Jules mostly stayed in her room with the door closed. The General was actually surprised to see her in the family room now. She had allowed him and Jim to come in her room but no one else. He made sure she took her pain medications and ate.

He offered to cover her cast so she could take a shower but Jules refused. He knew Jules felt very insecure right now and was limiting physical contact. He would have to touch her to put the cover on and since she already flinched every time he came close he kept his distance and did not push the issue of a shower.

William took it upon himself to check up on Jules several times each night. It pulled on his heart to see her curled tightly in the bed or jumping when he opened the door after knocking. It was clear as day that most the times he checked she had been crying even though she tried to hide the fact.

The General wanted to give Jules comfort but she would not let him nearer than arm's length. She definitely needed a comforting female who truly cared. He could not wait for Yvonne to get here because she would know to help Jules.

He had hoped that Spike would be able to help him with Jules. They were such good friends. But after the first night everything he knew about Spike was missing.

Spike was a shell of his former self. During the day he was stagnant, his face devoid of emotion and introverted. He mostly sat in one chair and gazed out the window for hours. It usually took three or four calls of his name before he responded.

Wordy had arranged for Spike's computer and beauty to be sent express mail. Both arrived yesterday. However Spike ignored his computer completely. If the TV was on he might appear to watch but one look in Spike's eyes showed he was actually a million miles away. Spike also refused to go in Samuel's room at all and could not look Jules in the eye. Not that Jules was trying to engage with Spike in anyway either.

The General blew out a frustrated breath as these thoughts ran through his head. Everything was so out of kilter. Everything was just so very FINE and he was so far out of his realm of usefulness.

Looking over at Spike he doubted the man had slept much at all. He heard the nightmares. The screams of no, don't die, I'm sorry and just pure screams of terror. Hell the entire house heard them. It was probably a contributing factor to Jules and Samuel's moods.

It was certainly a contributing factor to his. No normal man could be unaffected by the torment that was communicated in Spike's screams. It reminded him all to much of Samuel's nightmares. Thanks god Samuel was not screaming out in nightmares.

That was probably because Samuel's sleep was pain med induced. William wondered what was going to happen when it wasn't. God he hoped his son wouldn't experience nightmares again. It was always so painful to hear knowing there was not a damned thing he could do to stop them.

Just as with Samuel's nightmares the General had no clue what to say to Spike about it or how to help him. Nothing he had said so far seemed to make any dent in the severity of the nightmares or in Spike's disconnected behavior during the day. Christ he wished Dr. Tansy was available to help all of them but Spike especially.

As for Samuel he was rarely awake. When he did wake he was sullen, hostile and withdrawn. The few times he did speak it was in anger. He could tell his son was struggling with being so incapacitated. It was also likely all the terrible memories of Dupont and the torture he had endured were plaguing him when he was awake.

So far Samuel had been completely bed ridden and unable to bear weight on either leg. Samuel was unable to leave the bed even to use the bathroom. He flatly refused to eat for three days. With a lot of coaxing Jim had finally managed to get him to consume some broth yesterday just before he left.

Samuel refused all solid foods. Finally the reason for the refusal dawned on him and Jim yesterday. They believed it was because Samuel was too embarrassed to use the bedpan. By refusing to eat Samuel was trying to prevent that eventuality of using it.

This was not good because Samuel needed more nutrition for healing. On threat of sending him to the hospital Samuel finally consumed part of a protein shake this morning. William hated that he had to get authoritative and threaten Samuel with that but he needed to eat. Yvonne would know how to get him to eat and over his embarrassment.

Samuel was also acting out of character and requesting the maximum dose of pain medication each time he was due for them. At first he thought Samuel was in a great deal of pain. But this morning he finally figured out his son's plan as Samuel begrudgingly drank the shake.

As plans go, it wasn't half bad he had to admit. As best he could figure, Samuel was so embarrassed about not being able to care for even his most basic needs that he was simply trying to sleep through his incapacitation. Samuel was using the pain medication to knock himself out.

Once he figured this out he contacted Dr. Tarella. The doctor ordered a mild sedative added to do that instead of the pain meds. Tarella said that the sleep was actually very good for him but wanted to use the appropriate medication to help with that. It gave him the idea to speak to the doctor about Spike not sleeping too. Dr. Tarella ordered a sleeping aide for Spike as well. Hopefully tonight Spike would get some relief from the constant nightmares.

General Braddock stretched his back and yawned. He checked the clock. Only one more hour until his salvation got here. He never missed Yvonne more than he did right now. He always knew she was an amazing woman. If she had not been able to return he wasn't sure how he was going to manage. The last four days showed him how incompetent he was in this arena.

Additional help would be coming in the next few days too. The Braddock clan, at least the uncles and male cousins, would be converging soon. Organizing for them was a huge challenge. Just another reason he needed Yvonne. She always managed that so well.

In the past few days when he was not busy with taking care of the needs of his charges he had managed to make all the calls he needed. He had finally reached each of his brothers. Thankfully they took it upon themselves to contact their sons. It could be difficult locating them sometimes especially if they were out in the field rather than on base.

Last night Mark, Ryan and Erik called to confirm that they and their boys had finally coordinated and arranged leave. Initially they all were seeking three days. Once they came together they would make a plan. The General hoped to arrange it so at least one of the cousins was able to be here at all times. He felt that Jules, Spike and most especially Samuel would benefit from their presence.

General Braddock had also made a call to Blaze. The man cared for Samuel like a son. It was only right to let him know. Unfortunately, Blaze and his unit were out of county preparing for a mission. He asked Blaze to contact other unit members that may need to know. Blaze suggested that he contact Lizzy for Blondie's rehab. The Ice Queen would whip him into shape in no time. He sadly thought that was the only time he had laughed in the past four days.

He had also spoken to the family lawyer Kingsley Randolph three days ago. William gave him Detective Jackson's name and clued him into the entire situation including the ongoing investigation into Dupont. He also suggested he work with Samuel's trusted lawyer Dale Gibbson and to bring Greg Parker into the loop too since they were located in Toronto.

Randolph said he would contact all three of them and get back to him when he had news. His lawyer had called yesterday to confirm that Samuel was legally remanded into his custody. The arraignment hearing was being held off due to Samuel's injuries and would be scheduled when Samuel was able to attend.

Unfortunately, for now the assault charges against Samuel stood although they were investigating further. The scumbag lawyer had linked up with some dumbass Assistant Crown Attorney who saw this as a way to make a name for himself. So the Assistant Crown Attorney refused to immediately dismiss the charges even with statements from the General and Constable Scarlatti. Braddock sighed deeply, yep they were magnets for idiots right now.

Today his lawyer called to inform him that Gibbson was trying to get a gag order preventing Dupont's lawyer from speaking to the media. He would let him know about that as soon as it was issued. But he informed him that for some reason the media had sunk their teeth into this one. They were talking to anyone willing to speak even if all they had was hearsay. Although they had already ferreted out Samuel's name the truth of what happened and why had not been found. But it was bound to come out soon.

This the General already knew. He realized that right now the media had a juicy steak and were deeply engaged in trying to knock a hero off a pedestal. It was a ratings bonanza or at least a slow news week. The local Toronto news story had even made it to Ottawa.

There were old clips of Samuel carrying the little girl shown as the media whores speculated what would cause such a good man to do such a horrible thing. Did the job change him? Was he always just hiding it? Was it PTSD? One stupid idea after another was voiced by the idiot talking heads.

Part of him wanted to go on TV and make a statement that they had it all wrong. That his son was still a hero, an honorable man. But if he did he would have to say why and he just didn't think he could stand up in the public and tell them what Dupont had done to his son. It had been hard enough to tell Samuel's closest friends.

Plus he had to wait to tell the family because they should not hear about that on the news. The hardest to tell would be Yvonne. She knew about the beatings because of the court-martial. But he never told her about the suspected molestation.

He could not hurt her like that without proof and Samuel had clammed up and repressed the memories. Yvonne would have blamed herself because he was away from Samuel because of her health. She would have been crushed. William could not bring himself to hurt her then. But now he was forced to tell her.

When he had talked to her on the phone it was the one thing he couldn't tell her. This was the only reason a small part of him was glad it took her days to arrive. He had spent many hours contemplating just how the hell he was going to tell her. He was not looking forward to the hurt he would see in her eyes but it had to be done in person. It would be cowardly to tell her over the phone and he could not offer his arms for support either over the phone.

Yeah, he was most definitely out of his element right now. He sighed deeply again then rose to go get a cup of coffee. He had taken five steps towards the kitchen when the most wonderful sight came into his view.

"Yvonne! Oh thank god you are here" his voice hitched full of pent up emotion. William rushed forward and took his wife in his arms and hugged her tightly like a lifeline right there in front of Jules and Spike; not that either of them had actually noticed.

Yvonne was here.

Yvonne would sort things out.

Yvonne would know what to do to help Samuel, Jules and Spike heal.

 _Maybe help him to heal too?_


	3. Olive Branch, Temps & Nurturing Nature

**Olive Branch, Temps & Nurturing Nature**

* * *

 _ **SRU HQ – Briefing Room**_

Wordy, Ed and Greg were gathering in the briefing to decide on the temporary replacements. Greg and Ed were already seated at the table reviewing the files. Throughout the trials the past three days they had made it clear to the applicants that these were temporary assignments only. The applicants for their part understood and accepted that knowing that they would likely get higher consideration in the future when a permanent spot became available in SRU.

Wordy breezed in with a smile on his face and a huge handful of papers "Afternoon Gentlemen."

Ed looked up "What'd ya got there?"

In a chipper voice Wordy relayed "Get well cards from the girls for Sam, Jules and Spike. All hand-made."

Greg smiled "How many did Allie make Sam?"

Chuckling Wordy said "Five. She couldn't decide which picture to draw so she made one card for each picture."

"Spike's gonna be jealous" Ed teased.

"Nah, Lilly made him five. And before you say anything Holly made Jules five. My girls each have their favorite."

Ed mock pouted "What am I chopped liver?"

Wordy sat down "They love their Uncle Eddie. Remember how many they made you when you got shot?"

Greg just chuckled "Okay you two. We need to focus on these candidates and make some decisions on the temporary replacements."

"Hey before we get to that. We didn't get a chance to talk about it with all the assessments the past few days. Whatever came of your conversation with Jules's brother Aidan?"

Greg swiveled in the chair "They left this morning. I met them for dinner the evening after we got back from Ottawa. Brought Dean with me."

"Took the human polygraph with you for a reason didn't you?" Ed laughed.

Smirking Greg said "Yeah. Dean's pretty helpful that way." He stopped a moment thinking how nice it was to have Dean back in his life. He had a chance to reconcile with his family and so had Sam. Was this an opportunity for Jules to reconcile with hers?

A thoughtful expression came over his face as he related what happened at the dinner. "It just wasn't Aidan that came. All four of them came. Her brother Keagan was the most outspoken. They wanted to know where she was so they could go to her. We all know that Jules is in no shape to deal with them now. So I told them she was someplace safe and recuperating. That I'd let her know they came and she would contact them if she wanted too."

"They weren't very happy with that but accepted it. Brayden wanted to know why she was not staying at her home. I told them of her broken door and that Jules was attacked in her basement. I expressed our desire to clean up the blood from the basement before she went home. I explained that she should be shielded from having to do that gory task. They all blanched at the thought of Jules having to clean up that man's blood herself."

"Finley told me that they would like to help her out in at least a small way. Extend an olive branch of sorts to Jules. Apparently they are as skilled in restoration as she is. They offered to take care of the basement and replace her front door. I went over to check their work last night and to get the new sets of keys to her door. They did a great job."

Greg showed them the pictures he had taken of the front door. They had installed a beautiful hardwood door that matched her previous one. They had replaced the door frame and installed heavy duty locks. They even repainted the door jamb. It looked like nothing had ever happened.

Ed looked at the pictures "I think Jules will appreciate their efforts."

Wordy added "That was good of them to do all that. Did you check the basement?"

Greg nodded "Yes, not a trace of blood left and everything put back in order. I noticed that they also replaced the basement window and put a heavy duty lock on it too."

"Wow" Ed responded. Jules brother's seemed to be making an effort. He wondered how Jules would receive the news. He hoped it wouldn't be retracted if their father caught wind of their actions.

Rubbing his hands briskly over his head Greg added "They even cleared out her fridge of perishables so she doesn't come home to a mess. I saw each of them left her a sealed letter on the kitchen counter. I think they are truly trying to reconnect with her. They didn't share with me their reasons but I think their efforts now are genuine."

Ed asked "Did you read the letters?"

Greg shook his head, Eddie meant well but sometimes he was just a tad over-protective and didn't think through how his actions would be perceived. "No they were sealed. Not going to pry like that." Then he added "I was thinking we should send the letters and some pictures of the repairs they did to Jules."

As he listened Wordy was deep in thought. He wondered at Jules brother's timing. Why now? Then he thought why not now? The few things Jules had let slip over the years seemed that at one point she loved and admired her brothers and they were very protective. What changed that? Would Jules accept the olive branch they were extending?

Wordy heard Greg's last comment and voiced his opinion "I spoke to the General early this morning. I think the pictures might be okay but not the letters. From what he tells me all three of them are having some difficulty. He was looking forward to his wife coming home this afternoon. He sounded a bit frazzled."

"Probably is. Dealing with emotions is not his strong suit. Give him a soldier to order and he is great. Give him a mission to plan he is in his element. Give him people that need a soft touch and he's probably in over his head" Ed said drly. He understood the General a lot better than he probably wanted too. He had some of those same traits.

Then Ed said "Shall we get back to the task at hand. We need to select the temporary replacements. We need to be training with them by tomorrow if we are going to make it back into rotation when Holleran wants. Not fair to the rest of the teams to be picking up all the slack."

Wordy and Greg nodded and they started going through the results of all the assessments. After several hours they had whittled it down to seven candidates.

Greg said "These seven are all good. We have three that are strong in negotiations, two with sniper skills and two with the computer and technical skills. I say we put it to a vote in each category. Wordy?"

Wordy leaned forward and looked over the names in each category and provided his input. "Even though Kaleb and Javier tested slightly better I'd go with Brisa Horne for negotiations. We need a female negotiator. As for sniper my vote is for Joel Green and technical Chad Yang."

Ed nodded "I agree with Brisa for the same reason. But I think that Jude Mitchell has the better mix of sniper and tactical skills. He also has fairly good negotiation skills. For me I could go either way on technical either Chad or Caleb Atkinson."

Greg noted that down "We are unanimous on Brisa. I agree with Ed and was leaning more towards Jude than Joel for sniper. I was a bit more impressed with Chad's computer skills."

Ed tapped the table "Sounds like we have a decision then Brisa, Jude and Chad. Do you want to inform them Greg or did you want me to take care of that?"

Standing up Greg answered "I'll leave it to you and Wordy. I have a meeting with Commander Holleran, Deputy Chief Barnes, Captain Brunello and Scott Caldwell the Head of SIU. Gonna try and get this stupid assault charge resolved."

Gathering up the files Ed declared "If I had it my way they would fire Brunello. The man rushed in blind and took Sam into custody without due diligence or proper evidence."

"Too damned worried about perception than truth" Wordy growled. "Brunello needs to be held accountable for the harm his actions caused Sam. What is it with that damned blue wall of silence crap?"

Greg absently rubbed his head as he said "Not the first time the blue wall of silence has bitten Sam either."

"What do you mean by that?" Wordy asked.

Realizing he had actually voiced his internal thoughts Greg looked at Ed questioningly 'should I say anything?' Ed answered "I'll brief you on it Wordy. Greg has to take off."

Greg nodded and left the room. Ed then proceeded to tell Wordy about what happened to Sam when he was in the 51st Division. How Sam was treated and what factored into his decision to leave the police department and join the Army.

As Wordy listened to Ed's retelling of what happened to Sam after the dirty cops were put away he got angrier and angrier. They all knew of the dirty cops Sam turned in. But Sam had not shared the rest with the team what happened afterwards.

The blue wall of silence made him sick. First Sam was accused of breaking the stupid thing and was shunned and his life put in jeopardy because of it. Now Sam was being accused of hiding behind it to cover criminal actions and being lacerated in the court of public opinion by the media. Neither was true but Sam was paying the price both times.

Wordy could not wait for the truth to come out about the Dupont attack. He could not wait to see those responsible pay for their rash and unjust actions. He could not wait to see all the media sharks red-faced and contrite. Well that last probably would not happen. The media never did a good job of apologizing. They just moved onto the next story. If ever they apologized it was buried in small type on page ten, never making the headline like the false accusations.

It was not hard for Ed to see the anger build in Wordy. Ed felt the same but he needed to defuse it before it got the better of Wordy. They needed to focus on whipping the rookies into shape because they would be on rotation soon. Greg, Wordy and he needed to have their heads fully in the game. The three temporary rookies would be depending on them to guide them and keep them safe. There was no room for distractions.

So Ed said "Wordy, I'll take care of notifying Brisa, Jude and Chad. I'm going to ask them to come to the Goose tonight for drinks so we can get to know them a bit. But for now I want you to tape up your hands then head over to the heavy bag to blow off some steam. I'll join you when I'm done calling them. I'm as pissed as you are at the situation."

Wordy nodded and headed off to the locker room to change thinking they were probably gonna need a new heavy bag by the time he and Ed were finished with it today.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Family Room**_

Yvonne had taken one look at the three people in the family room and wished she had come sooner. The emotion in William's voice told her it was bad and he was out of his depth. He tried so hard but he was a bit emotionally stunted. She always figured it was from his upbringing being the oldest brother and being expected to achieve in the military.

Plus his job demanded he put emotion aside. Emotions were a liability in his line of work. She knew he had learned early to hide his softer more vulnerable emotions deep. But with her he showed them.

For his kids he showed them but not as openly, it was always hard for him. He had always felt he had to be strong for his kids. It was only after Sam called him dad in that fateful courtyard for the first time since he was four years old did he begin to show his feelings more openly to his kids. It was still a work in progress.

This emotional fraught situation was beyond his capabilities. Yvonne let him hug her a long time. He needed it. After several minutes she pulled back and surveyed Jules and Spike more closely. William stood silent as she did so. She turned to him "Where is Sam?"

"He's in the downstairs guest room; the same one as before. Samuel is sleeping." The General checked his watch "Next meds are not for another three hours which means he should be waking up in about two hours. Basically sleeps between doses."

Reaching out and taking his hand she said "Okay then. Library first, we need to talk." She led him to the library and closed the door for privacy.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Library**_

Yvonne led William to a small sofa near the windows. The soft light of late afternoon was filtering in giving the room a warm glow. They sat facing each other.

She clasped his hands in hers "Okay tell me what you could not say on the phone. All of it. I need to know everything if I'm going to be able to help."

William poured out everything, every last heartbreaking detail. Both were in tears and he was hugging her tightly when he finished.

In a quiet broken voice Yvonne whispered "You should have told me what you suspected then. I don't know if I could have done anything to help him. He was so closed off after Sara's death. But you should have told me."

His head bowed remorse filled his words "I should have told you but I couldn't. I just couldn't bring myself to hurt you. You had been hurt enough with Sara's death and Sam's state afterwards. I did not know for sure and I just couldn't bear to cause you any more pain. Can you ever forgive me?"

Yvonne pulled him to her and tucked his head to her chest. He listened to her heartbeat; the beat that breathed life into him. Without Yvonne life was not worth living. It was from her he drew his strength. He silently begged that she would forgive him.

She held him a long time trying to sort out her own feelings. He should have told her. She might have been able to help Sam back then. Sam might not have repressed the memory. They might have been able to convict Dupont back then. Sam might not be where he was at now if he had only told her. He should have told her.

Her mind continued to work through it. She could see his reasoning. She knew the last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt her. If he knew for sure he would have told her. Even if she had known she may not have been able to do anything for Sam, he was so unreachable back then.

Yvonne lifted his head and they connected with their eyes. Hers full of forgiveness. His full of repentance. No words were needed. He hugged her again.

She cleared her throat "Now tell me how each of them have been." William sat back and again told her every detail. Yvonne seethed with anger at the doctors and the nurse that had treated them so badly.

When he was done she asked "So Jules refused to shower. Did you arrange a proper change of clothing? I noticed she is still in hospital scrubs. I assume she got those from the hospital because her clothes would be considered evidence."

The General's face fell and shoulders slumped. Ah crap how could he be so damned clueless? Shame filled him when he said "No, dammit. I didn't think. I was just so focused on how fearful and anxious she was. I thought that is why she didn't want to shower. Crap, crap and crap. How could I be so clueless?"

Yvonne patted his knee "You are not clueless just wired differently dear. You've dealt with self-sufficient, suck-it up even if it hurts, wear the same clothes for a month without complaint soldiers all your life dear. Your world is full of hard, perilous missions, strategy, saving the world from the bad guys."

She smiled kindly "You've had to close off the nurturing side to protect yourself because you have to make the hard decisions. So many times you have to decide to send someone's child into dangerous situations they may not come home from. Clothing is a small detail and it just does not enter your mind. Plus you have not had much experience with young women because you were away a lot when Natalie grew up. I'll take care of everything."

Sitting up straight and changing her voice to one of soft command "Now are you ready for your orders?"

William looked fondly at his wife and gave her a crisp nod. This is one of the reasons he loved his wife so much. She nurtured and supported him. Yvonne saw him for who he was, all his failings and shortfalls, and accepted him without judgment.

General Braddock sat tall and squared his shoulders "I'm listening."

She smiled warmly at the erect posture, ever her soldier. She sighed then commanded in a firm but gentle tone "Your first order is to call Sergeant Parker and arrange for a weeks' worth of clothing and personal toiletries as necessary to be sent today so they reach us no later than tomorrow morning for both Jules and Spike."

"Second order is to contact Mrs. Scarlatti. Provide her a positive update on her son, think of what you might tell me if it were Sammy. Then ask her about Spike's favorite foods. Third order is to inform the cook to make one of his favorite meals for dinner tonight."

Yvonne thought a moment before continuing. She wasn't all together sure it was the right course to take but she could adjust as necessary depending on the outcome. Smiling she said "Your fourth order is to take Spike outside for at least a forty minutes. A walk down to the pond would be good. He needs a bit of fresh air. Your fifth order is to share with Spike how you are feeling regarding Dupont's recent the attack on Sam."

William stared at her with deer in the headlight expression. She wanted him to talk to Spike about his feelings of guilt? No she _ordered_ him to talk to him about it. Huge difference. Crap could he do that? Why would she order him to do that?

She read her husband's mind by his reaction and facial expression. Yvonne answered the unvoiced questions "Yes you can do this. Spike needs to know he is not alone in those feelings. You were both there and you can help him see there was nothing he could have done differently and help him start down the path to dispel the unwarranted guilt." Left unsaid she thought it will help you my dear husband to dispel that guilt too.

When he just nodded Yvonne stated "While you are taking care of those items I will take care of Jules. Once Sam is awake I will start there too."

William smiled. Yvonne was here and taking care. Everything would be okay now. Her nurturing nature would help Samuel, Jules and Spike heal now. She would fix his screw ups.

She pulled him into a hug "William you did good bringing them all here. You protected Sammy bringing him home. This will be a place of healing for them." Releasing him from the hug she asked "By the way, which room did you put Jules and Spike in?"

"Jules is in the sage room. I put Spike in the blue room" he answered as the words she just said washed away a bit of guilt he felt for the current state of Jules, Spike and Samuel.

Yvonne considered the placement and said "Jules room is fine. I want you to move Spike's items into Sam's old room after your walk. I think it will help. That poor boy is suffering from so much guilt about Sam getting hurt. And I think both Sam and Spike feel guilty about Jules getting attacked."

He stared at her "Why, what makes you think that?"

She smiled softly "Because of what you told me dear. You said none of her team wanted to leave her home alone. That Spike set up the alarms on the doors but not the windows before he left and the madman got in through a window. Because of how you described Sam's reaction when Ed and Wordy left the Physical Therapy department."

"I also think Jules is not only dealing with the attack. She is most likely feeling guilty that Sam got hurt because Ed and Wordy were not there to protect him because they were coming to her rescue. And the abduction by Vlad is eating at all of them. From Sammy's and Spike's injuries they suffered greatly physically. I suspect they suffered emotionally too."

"It's in all their natures to be protective, not just our Sammy. That's what makes them all so good at their job. Given that, it would be difficult for them not to feel guilty about not protecting the others. It would weigh heavy on them as unwarranted as the guilt is" Yvonne concluded.

The General let those thoughts roll around in his minds a moment. Damn she was perceptive. He could use more people like her on his staff. "How do you fix that?"

Standing up Yvonne winked at him and stated "I have my ways. Now you have your immediate marching orders soldier. Get to it."

William gave his wife an extremely rare WOW smile that lit his eyes. He stood, came to attention and saluted her "Yes Ma'am." He pulled out his phone to begin making the calls.

Yvonne chuckled as she headed for the family room to talk with Jules. As she came to the stairs an idea popped into her head. She made a quick detour to Natalie's and then Sam's old room. When she got to Sam's room Yvonne dug around in the bottom drawer until she located what she wanted. Smiling broadly she said under her breath "Exactly what Jules needs."

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Family Room**_

Upon entering the family room Yvonne saw that Spike was gone. She looked out the window and saw William and Spike slowly heading for the pond. She smiled.

Yvonne slowly approached Jules who was curled tightly in the corner of the couch just staring outside. Yvonne sat down with the items she had collected from Natalie's and Sam's room. "Jules" she said softly.

Jules turned to look at Sam's mother. In all the years she had never met her. Every time Sam had been hurt badly and was in the hospital and his mother came to visit she was not at the hospital at the same time.

She looked at Yvonne warily as she recalled the hurt in Sam's voice the first day she was back after getting shot. When he hurled at her that the hardest part of his visit with his family had been when his mother asked when she would get to meet her. That had hurt a lot but she had deserved those words back then.

Jules found her voice "Mrs. Braddock."

Mrs. Braddock smiled at the skittish woman before her. Yvonne could tell this was abnormal behavior. Especially with all she knew about Jules from Sam.

Yvonne recalled the long talk at Bella Ridgewater's Chalet. Sam had finally trusted her and opened his heart completely to her. That day he allowed her to see the real Sam, flaws and insecurities and all. Sam had poured out all his hurt, love and longing for the woman in front of her. She had encouraged him to not let go of hope. Yvonne was going to do all in her power to help Jules heal.

Using the same soft tone Yvonne said "Please call me Yvonne."

Jules nodded. Sam's mother had gentle emerald green eyes and a soft, kind, feminine voice. She looked down in Yvonne's lap and saw a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. Jules looked back up at Yvonne when she started speaking again.

Reaching out a hand slowly and placing it on Jules's knee Yvonne said "I thought you might like a nice long soak in the tub. I found some of Natalie's undergarments that should fit. I also found some of Sam's clothes from when he was a young teen. He was much smaller then. He got his growth spurt in his later teens. I think they might just fit well enough until your things arrive here tomorrow."

Yvonne rotated her hand so it was palm up on Jules's knee offering for Jules to clasp it she asked "Would you like to come with me as I draw you a bath?"

Jules watched Sam's mother's eyes and then dropped her eyes to the clothes in Yvonne's lap. Sam's clothes? Tears welled in her eyes. She felt gross and had wanted to shower but didn't want to ask for clothes and putting the scrubs back on would feel like she hadn't showered at all.

She was also irrational about letting men get close to her. Fear traveled up her spine every time the General or Jim had come too close. The General would have to touch her to cover the cast and right now she could not let him touch her. So she had refused to shower. But she badly wanted one.

Looking down at her knee she saw the offered hand. Should she take the offer? Could she take the offer? Her eyes went back to Yvonne's face. She read comfort and sincerity in her expression. Before she could change her mind her hand slipped into Yvonne's offered one.

A sensation of warmth started to move slowly up from her hand into the rest of her body eradicating the coldness that had gripped her since she woke up in the hospital. Tears slipped down her cheeks. Yvonne enveloped her in a gentle hug and held onto her for several minutes and Yvonne never released her hand.

Pulling back from the hug Yvonne brushed back some loose tendrils of hair from Jules face with her free hand. Jules had a death grip on her other hand. Yvonne was sure Jules was unaware how tightly she was holding on. But that was okay.

Yvonne slowly rose up and brought Jules to standing with her. Still holding her hand she led her upstairs to the large guest bathroom with the oversized tub with the water jets.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Guest Bathroom**_

Jules sat on the vanity stool watching as Mrs. Braddock readied the bath. Yvonne had asked her whether she preferred Warm Vanilla Sugar, French Lavender or Japanese Cherry Blossom bath salts. She had only shrugged but Yvonne waited for her to choose. Finally Jules chose the Japanese Cherry Blossom. Yvonne smiled at her.

Yvonne adjusted the temperature of the water and added the bath salts. While it was running she set out soaps, a washcloth, a large fluffy towel and soft cotton bath robe. She pulled out several candles from the bathroom cabinet lit them and placed them around the bathroom. Then she showed Jules how to work the jets in the tub. Yvonne turned on a radio and selected a station with soft soothing strains of music.

As she covered Jules's cast Yvonne said "After you have had a long soak I will help you wash your hair. Trying to accomplish that task with a cast will be very difficult. I'll check on you in about fifteen minutes. If you want longer just let me know then."

While Yvonne had been preparing the bath Jules had unknowingly placed her hand on Sam's old tee shirt. Jules absently ran her fingers back and forth over the soft fabric. When Yvonne finally stood and moved to leave her to bathe Jules said "Thank you Yvonne."

Yvonne answered "No thanks are necessary. I'm happy to help. I'll be back in a bit. Relax sweetie." Yvonne dimed the lights almost to off allowing the candles she had lit to provide most of the light.

Once the door closed Jules undressed and slipped into the soothing water. She turned on the water jets and laid back. With the combination of the scented bath salts, the lighting and the warm water gently massaging her tense muscles she finally started to relax for the first time in days.

Jules became so relaxed she almost did not hear the light knocking on the door nearly twenty minutes later. The door opened a fraction and Yvonne called out softly "Are you ready to wash your hair?"

"Yes" Jules responded lazily feeling the full effect of the relaxing bath. Yvonne entered and smiled. She helped Jules wash her hair then out of the bath and once dried into the robe. Yvonne had brought a brush with her. As Jules sat on the vanity stool wrapped snuggly in the soft robe Yvonne brushed out her hair.

"I used to do this when the girls were small. Sara and Natalie would beg me to keep brushing. It was a special time I could show them I cared. It was a bit different with Sammy. He didn't have long hair. But when he was a little boy he would lay in my lap and I would brush my fingers through his hair too. He could lay there for hours" Yvonne revealed.

Finding her hand on the tee shirt again Jules wondered when it had landed there. Mesmerized by the soothing feeling of having her hair brushed Jules dreamily said "Sam likes it when I run my fingers through his hair too. It really seems to comfort him when he's had a bad day."

Jules was shocked at what had just slipped out of her mouth. Her shocked eyes met Yvonne's smiling eyes in the bathroom mirror.

Yvonne had seen Jules hand kept going to Sam's shirt. That was an unconscious sign if there ever was one. But the revelation of Jules comforting Sam was awesome. There definitely was something there. A spark of something was growing between them. Hope. Yvonne had hope. Maybe she could give hope a little nudge in the right direction and help both of them.

"I can see you care very deeply for Sam. That is nice to know. It is a good thing because I know Sam cares very deeply for you too" Yvonne said softly.

Jules could only stare at Yvonne's eyes in the mirror.

Yvonne saw what she needed in Jules eyes. She continued "I need your help Jules. Sam needs your help. Will you help me help him?"

Jules nodded slowly still unable to voice anything.

Yvonne leaned down and hugged her "Thank you. Now how about you get dressed then meet me in the kitchen."


	4. Scars, Pond Talk, Greg's Ace-In-The-Hole

**Scars, Pond Talk, Greg's Ace-In-The-Hole**

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Sam's Room**_

As Jules got dressed Yvonne popped into Sam's room to see if he was awakening yet. She saw that he was still out. She took a moment to sit on the edge of the bed and really look at her son.

Sam had kicked off all covers and was wearing a light pair of shorts and no shirt. She could see the fading bruises over his face and torso. Yvonne saw the bruising at his wrists and ankles from his struggles against the cuffs. They were on top of cuts that appeared to be nearly healed. Seeing those made her sad. Yvonne sighed as she thought Sammy always bruises so badly.

Memories of him as a little boy meandered into her mind. As a little boy bruising was often the only sign that Sammy had hurt himself. She learned early that her little boy had a high pain threshold. The summer day when he was four and he had crashed his bicycle at the park is when she found out. The bruising on his face, arm and knees was quick to show as usual. He said he was okay and did not cry but she took him to the base hospital to be checked anyways since he had hit his head.

Only then did she find he had a greenstick fracture of his radius bone of his right arm. Sammy had not complained of any pain. A soft smile played at her lips as she recalled how Sammy had hated the four weeks he was in that hard cast. If only he had followed the doctor's orders and kept the removable splint on he would not have had to have the cast.

Her little boy had been so stubborn. He said it didn't hurt so he didn't need the splint and would remove it every time he was out of her sight. So the doctor put him in a hard cast and that was the beginning of his dislike of doctors. Sammy had pouted and sulked around for weeks and even attempted to remove the hard cast himself.

As she came back to the present she thought his stubbornness was a good thing when he needed to heal. It drove him to get better faster if properly directed. She continued her survey of his injuries.

Yvonne could see the bandage around his left bicep. That must be where the bullet grazed him. The left arm was in a sling which held it securely to his chest keeping his shoulder immobile. So it was the left shoulder he dislocated trying to escape the restraints. Sam would not be happy about that. It would interfere with his shooting since he was left handed.

Her gaze dropped to his thighs. William had told her he was unable to bear weight on either. The newest wound was still covered with a large bandage protecting it from infection. The older wound looked to be healing well. The scar was still pink and fresh. It would fade to white over time like all his other scars.

Yvonne sighed again. Her handsome son's body was littered with the evidence of the pain he had endured protecting the citizens of this country. But those were not the only scars. She knew there were many, many unseen emotional wounds and scars that were even worse. She lightly caressed his arm.

Softly she whispered "I'm here now. We'll get you on your feet in no time Sammy. Rest for now. You've got a lot of work ahead of you. Your family is here for you. You have some awesome friends that will help you too."

She leaned in close and added very softly so the nurse did not overhear "I approve of Jules. She is all you described. Beautiful inside and out. But she's hurting. You need to help her Sammy."

Gazing lovingly at her sleeping son she lightly brushed through his hair a few times remembering him as a little boy curled safety in her lap.

After several moments Yvonne stood and turned to the nurse sitting in the corner reading and said "Cliff, I'll be in the kitchen if he awakens. Please come get me as soon as he does."

Cliff lowered his book and looked at the General's wife. He recognized a caring soul and responded "Yes ma'am I will."

* * *

 _ **Pond Near General Braddock's Home**_

Spike walked with the General to the pond. He watched as a gaggle of geese landed in the pond. He wasn't really up for the hike but he couldn't refuse the General either. He could see why Sam felt compelled to follow his orders. The man standing to the right of him was a force to be reckoned with. His refusal to go for the walk was on the tip of his tongue when the General gave him a look that said 'walk now that's an order'.

During the walk to the pond Spike was deep in self-pity and berating himself. Giving a quick side glance to the General he thought I bet _he_ never feels useless. Spike moved his left hand to his right arm and massaged lightly. It still ached a lot and his grip was not as good as it was before. How the hell was he going to manage a gun with it like this? Just something else that was useless he thought.

Useless, useless, useless. Sam was hurt because he was useless. Jules was hurt because he was useless. He was facing the door, Sam wasn't. He should have seen Dupont had a gun and defused the situation. He was responsible for setting up Jules's alarm and he didn't even do that all the way. He should have finished the job before he left. Jules wouldn't have been attacked if he had. He was useless.

He stopped at the edge of the pond lost in his thoughts. It hurt so bad to know that he had failed them so badly. Both of them were hurt because he was useless. Maybe his dad was right. Maybe he didn't belong at SRU. Inwardly he laughed, might not be there anymore now either with a useless right hand.

General Braddock had covertly observed Spike on the walk and as they stood by the pond. He tapped Spike on the shoulder and cocked his head to the side towards a bench then headed for it himself. Spike followed and sat down too.

Watching the geese the General finally said "I swear Samuel has the damnedest luck. It's like he is a magnet for trouble and he doesn't deserve any of it. Seems I'm never able to protect him even though I try. It's my job as his father to protect him. But it turns out he is always the one doing the protecting and getting hurt in the process. I was facing the door. I should have been more on guard and seen Dupont sooner. I should have reacted faster. Samuel got shot because I failed to protect my son again. Someday I may just drown in all the guilt I feel."

Shock rippled through Spike as his jaw dropped and he slowly turned wide eyes to the General. Did he hear what he just heard? "Sir, I've gotten to know Sam well over the years. He reacted quickly because his senses have been honed very well. No one sneaks up on Sam. I know I tried a lot of times when we were trying to haze him. Never was able too. Sam hears and smells before he sees."

The General only snorted. He thought that's no excuse for my lack of awareness but didn't voice it.

"Sir there was nothing you could have done. The wind was knocked out of you. You got to Sam as soon as you could to pull him off Dupont. There is nothing for you to feel guilty about" Spike stressed.

This was hard to voice to another person but Yvonne ordered him to do it so he would. General Braddock tuned and responded slowly and deliberately "Oh really? So you don't think I should feel guilt that my slow reaction resulted in my son being shot twice, charged with assault, cuffed, awakening thinking he was still a captive and dislocating his shoulder in an attempt to get out of the restraints. I was there. It is my job to have his six. It's my fault he was hurt and is now facing criminal charges."

By the end of his spiel the General was shouting. Spike just sat dumbfounded listening to what the General said.

Spike swallowed hard and retorted "Um Sir. Actually it um it's not your fault, nothing for you to feel guilty about. It's Dupont's, the scumbag lawyer and Captain Brunello's fault. It's their actions not yours that hurt Sam."

General Braddock looked at him hard "Is that so?"

"Yes Sir" Spike stated firmly.

The General relaxed his posture and said in a friendly tone "Then you have nothing to feel guilty about either."

Spike's jaw dropped for a second time in the span of five minutes. He was speechless. He never saw the maneuver coming. His own words to convince Sam's dad it was not his fault and that he should not feel guilty had been effectively turned and used as ammunition on him.

General Braddock reached out and closed Spike's jaw then patted his shoulder "Even though our rational minds know it's not our fault. It's still hard not to feel the guilt though huh."

Slowly nodding yes Spike turned and looked at the geese considering the General's words. Quietly he said "Yeah real hard not to."

They sat silent for a long time just watching the geese in the pond when Spike final asked "How do you let the guilt go Sir?"

William sighed "I'll let you know if I ever figure out how." He stood "Ready to head back? Yvonne will be wondering where we are by now."

* * *

 _ **Toronto Police Headquarters – Hallway Outside the Deputy Chief's Office**_

Greg was on his way to the meeting when his phone rang. He answered it and spoke with General Braddock. Both men commiserated that neither had thought to get clothing for Jules. He assured the General he would gather the items for Jules and Spike and have them at SRU HQ for the courier by six pm as requested.

He looked at his watch and wondered how long the meeting would run. Greg decided that he needed to delegate the job. He tried calling Ed and Wordy several times but they did not answer. He then called Winnie and found that Wordy and Ed were in the gym working out on the heavy bag. Greg thought he might just be joining them in that activity depending on how things go in this meeting.

Winnie asked if he wanted her to get one of them. He indicated yes and waited.

 _["Hey Boss, what ya need?" Wordy asked.]_

"Got a call from the General. I'm gonna be tied up in the meeting. Can I ask you to arrange to get a weeks' worth of clothing and necessary kits for Jules and Spike and take them to the barn?" Greg requested. Then he added "A courier from the General will be there to pick them up at six."

 _["Ah crap none of us ever thought to do that. Yeah sure I can handle that. I'll ask Mrs. Scarlatti to pack for Spike. I'll take Shel with me to get Jules things. I wouldn't really know what to get. Needs a woman's touch" Wordy said. Privately he was thinking no way in hell I want to be touching Jules undergarments. There were some things that were just out of bounds. Shel would ensure the right things were packed.]_

"Great thanks."

 _["No problem. By the way, Ed and I will be meeting with the temps at the Goose around seven if you can to join us. Maybe give us an update on the meeting" Wordy commented.]_

"I'll be there if I can. I'm not sure how long the meeting will go. I'll let you know later if I can." Greg said then hung up. He grinned at the Deputy Chief's assistant "Sergeant Parker, I'm expected."

* * *

 _ **Toronto Police Headquarters – Deputy Chief's Office**_

Greg was shown into Deputy Chief Barnes office by his assistant. He saw he was the last to arrive. Seated around the Deputy Chief's conference table were Barnes, Holleran, Captain Brunello and Scott Caldwell. He moved to the table and took the remaining seat and set his laptop case down.

Deputy Chief Barnes looked at Greg and said "Thank you for joining us today Sergeant Parker. I assume you are acquainted with everyone here."

Greg answered "Yes Sir."

"Good then let's get right down to business" Barnes said and all nodded. He continued "First let me state this is an informal meeting to review the situation and the chain of events. The outcome of this meeting will determine what formal courses of action will be taken in relation to all parties involved."

"It is my understanding that Constables Braddock and Scarlatti were in the Physical Therapy department to have their initial assessments to establish their PT needs. The need for PT stemmed from injuries sustained when they were abducted by Vlad Reznik a serial killer. Reznik had previously abducted and killed thirty officers in fifteen different countries. They were accompanied to the PT department by Constables Lane and Wordsworth and General Braddock. I assume the General is the Constable's father."

Greg said "Yes."

Checking his notes Barnes continued relating facts "At some point Lane and Wordsworth were called to go to the rescue of Constable Callaghan along with Sergeant Parker and SRU Team Two. Callaghan was attacked in her home by Logan Hill a serial rapist and murderer. The 911 call came in from one Connor MacGillie. I understand he is an Interpol agent who happened to be assigned both the Reznik and Hill cases. Interesting coincidence."

"When Lane and Wordsworth were leaving a heated verbal argument broke out between Lane, Wordsworth, Braddock, and Scarlatti. After Lane and Wordsworth left and the argument continued between Constable Braddock, Scarlatti and General Braddock. The Head of Security for the hospital arrived and cleared the main PT room. Then he entered the assessment room. It is in this room where the altercation between Constable Braddock and Gaston Dupont occurred."

Deputy Chief Barnes stopped at this point and asked "Up to this point are all those facts we can agree on?"

Greg was about to speak when he was cut off by Captain Brunello "I object to the term altercation. Braddock assaulted Dupont."

Scott Caldwell Head of SIU rebutted "At this point we should use the term altercation. Assault has not been proven one way or the other as far as I'm concerned. We need the proper investigation and evidence before making accusations."

"Did you see the man's face? That's assault" Brunello retorted.

Holleran fumed "Did you see the gunshot wounds on Braddock?"

Barnes needed to maintain control. He said firmly "Enough. I agree with Caldwell we will stick to the term altercation for the time being. Let's continue."

Greg spoke up "There is a significant error in facts."

They all looked at Greg and Brunello asked "What fact is in error?"

Sitting back with open body language Greg stated "The head of security is not Gaston Dupont. His name is actually Gerard Dupont. Gaston is his twin brother."

"And you know this how?" asked Barnes confused.

Greg proceeded to fill them in on how Sam's reaction to the odor in ICU eventually led them to the discovery. How Gerard received a BCD for beating Sam as a child. He left out the molestation at this point it did not need to be shared. He shared with them the ongoing investigation into Gerard Dupont and that he was a suspected pedophile. Greg suggested they bring Detective Jackson in if they needed more information on the status of that investigation.

When he was finished Captain Brunello was feeling very defensive. He crossed his arms on his chest and said "That may all be true we have to wait for evidence. The man may be scum of the earth but to be attacked so viciously without cause by a man who took an oath to serve and protect. Braddock had no business attacking without provocation. Dupont was only doing his job breaking up a heated argument."

Holleran was incensed at the man's pigheadedness and downright double standard. He had tried and convicted Sam without evidence. But was saying they needed to wait for evidence on Dupont. It galled him.

The SRU Commander stated "You have the sworn statements of the events from General Braddock and Constable Scarlatti. Dupont attacked first. Constable Braddock was defending his father, his teammate and himself. What more evidence do you need than that?"

"Yeah right and they wouldn't lie to protect him. I mean its Braddock's father and his teammate for Christ sake. They are biased. They would say anything to cover up for him" Brunello snapped.

Holleran stared at the Captain "Just how injudicious and reckless can you be Brunello? You take the word of a lowlife lawyer looking to make a name for himself who in fact did not actually witness what occurred in that room. But you discount the respected words of the General of Special Forces and a SRU Constable who were in the room and witnessed the incident first-hand. You are clearly applying a double standard."

Brunello stood and angrily slammed his open palms on the table "You SRU, you think you are above us regular officers. You think you are above the law. Running around with all your assault rifles and snipers. This is one case I won't let you hide behind the blue wall. I will expose Braddock for the unstable, irresponsible and violent tempered officer he is. Someone capable of beating a man nearly to death without provocation, except maybe that he suffered corporal punishment from the man as a kid, is not someone that should be a police officer."

Deputy Chief Barnes sternly ordered "Sit down Captain Brunello and conduct yourself appropriately or I will have you removed from this meeting." He then took a deep breath and said "Now back to facts and not conjectures or opinions. Let's look at the injury rep …"

Greg had been surprised by the outburst but he guessed he shouldn't be. He cleared his throat "Excuse me Deputy Chief I have more to offer in the way of fact. I believe something that should have been looked at before taking the rash action of cuffing Constable Braddock. If I may explain?"

Brunello scowled at him. The Deputy Chief adjusted in his chair and looked directly at Greg. "Yes go ahead Parker but remember stay to facts only."

Greg began "Yes Sir. Since returning from Ottawa I have spoken with retired Captain Camilla Ridley. She was second in command of security. She has since taken over as head of security at the hospital. She was brought in initially to observe Gerard Dupont. The Hospital Director had many complaints about him in his short tenure. She was to watch and report any behaviors that were in violation of hospital policy to the Director."

"Just prior to the incident Ms. Ridley had spoken with the Director of the Hospital and revealed evidence of a fireable offence. Dupont broke hospital patient privacy policy by redirecting a camera directly into Constable Braddock's ICU room. Dupont also redirected the camera to the room Braddock and Scarlatti shared on the tenth floor."

Brunello groused "What the hell does that have to do with the assault."

"Altercation" Caldwell corrected wondering at the dogged idiocy of the Captain.

"I'm getting to that" Greg said then pulled out a DVD and a letter from a laptop bag.

Holding up the DVD he shared "This contains both the video recordings of those two incidents but also the video recording from the physical therapy main room and assessment room. The first videos prove that Dupont was unlawfully surveilling Braddock before he left the hospital. The others show what happened in the rooms."

"Ms. Ridley ran a side by side time comparison of both rooms. It shows that the argument in the assessment room had deescalated and both Braddocks and Scarlatti were calmly talking when Dupont entered. It further shows that Sam acted to save his father. He pushed himself out of the wheelchair in just enough time to knock his father out of harm's way from the bullet fired by Dupont."

The Deputy Chief said "I would like to view those now please."

Greg pulled out the laptop and brought up the videos. He played each of the four videos. Then the one that Cami had made that showed side by side of both the main room and assessment room.

Brunello was not giving up easily "Braddock was not looking at Dupont. He launched himself at the General just before Dupont fired. This supports Dupont not Braddock. How could Braddock know Dupont was going to fire? Braddock was clearly attacking his father first then turned on Dupont when Dupont attempted to stop him from harming his father. And maybe Dupont was surveilling Braddock in the ICU and the other room because he was afraid Braddock would attack him."

Holleran snorted "Do you even hear yourself man?"

Caldwell interjected "He has a bit of a point. How did Braddock know Dupont was there and going to fire?"

Greg smiled and offered "Sam is special. He's a great asset to our team because he has a heightened sense of awareness."

Brunello sneered "So what? He's got some kind of superhero sense? He smelled the guy? He heard Dupont? What? That is such a huge load of bullcrap."

Barnes considered what was being said the clarified his knowledge of the officer "Constable Braddock is ex-JTF2 correct?"

Greg answered "Yes, six years in the field. He …"

"PTSD I tell you. The man must have snapped. We can't have that in an officer" Brunello interrupted.

Frustrated but keeping his cool, calm negotiating voice Greg said "As I was saying. Sam has a lot of special skills he developed to survive and excel in JTF2. His list of commendations and awards is long."

"You can check the annual hearing test to see the acuteness of his hearing. His sense of smell is not something tested. But if need be I'm sure it could be proved somehow. Dupont does wear a distinct cologne."

Greg then looked at each man seated at the table and stopped at the Deputy Chief "The bottom line is that Sam sensed Dupont was there and reacted to neutralize the threat. However, we would need to ask him what it was that clued him into the threat to his father."

"I don't buy it for a minute. He will just concoct something and his father and teammate will back him up. The man is unstable and you are trying to cover for him. You are trying to make it seem that Dupont was out to get Braddock" Brunello said in frustration. Don't they see the man is a menace to the police reputation?

Caldwell could see both possibilities but was leaning very heavily towards Braddock being justified. He knew of him through the whole Donner fiasco several years ago. It was not like the officer he knew to go off halfcocked and attack someone. He was also curious "Sergeant Parker, what is in the envelop you pulled out."

Greg smiled it was his ace in the hole. "In this envelop is the duly sworn and notarized statement from Gaston Dupont."

He saw the looks of confusion but continued "The real Gaston Dupont. In it he claims to have stayed with his brother Gerard Dupont for a few days beginning on the day Braddock was released from the hospital. He swears that his brother was obsessed with Constable Braddock to the point of staking out and watching the location where Braddock was convalescing. He claims to be an unwilling participant in it."

"Gaston claims his brother blamed as he quotes 'the General's little brat' for his court-martial and subsequent BCD. He vowed to take revenge on him. Gaston states that he has always been intimidated by his brother. For years he has enlisted the help of a friend to get out of situations with his brother before he got roped into doing something illegal."

"In this case Gaston says in his statement that he told his friend Marco all about it after Marco once again helped him to escape his brother. He states Marco encouraged him to go to the police in Montreal when the news story regarding the assault made the news there. Gaston wanted the police to know in case there was question of motive or who may be at fault. He felt his brother was capable of killing Braddock and wanted no part of it."

Greg sat forward and gave Brunello a hard glare "You behaved in a rash manner that harmed a fellow officer. Your worry about perception before having the facts is reprehensible. I am not the Chief but if it were up to me you would be fired and brought up on charges of dereliction of duty, unlawful arrest or quite possibly assault of an officer. But that is not my call to make."

Gathering the DVD and letter in his hands Greg stood and walk to the Deputy Chief. Giving both to Barnes Greg said "Deputy Chief Barnes based on this evidence I fully expect you to do whatever is necessary to drop the charges and clear Constable Braddock's good name. An honorable man's name and reputation has been smeared in the news for days now due to Captain Brunello's inexcusable and shameful actions."

He walked back and put the laptop into the case as he added "Sir, if you are worried about people claiming Braddock is hiding behind the blue wall of silence. I strongly suggest you review the sealed records of what happened in the 51st Division about twelve years ago."

"You will be sadly surprised that this Police Department has severely let down Constable Braddock for a second time. I would not be surprised if Braddock brings legal action against the Department this time. Just something for you to consider as you decide what to do."

Standing at the door Greg stated "If you will excuse me gentlemen, I have three new temporary officers to meet. Sir I expect to hear your decision soon."

Greg closed the door behind him. The rage he held down during the entire meeting came rushing to the surface. Greg picked up his pace as he left the building. He had a date with the heavy bag before he could even consider meeting the temporaries.


	5. Busy Hands, Drawer, Ma's Love, Smart Mom

**Busy Hands, Drawers, Ma's Love & Smart Mom**

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Kitchen**_

Gentle laughter was coming from the kitchen as General Braddock and Spike entered the house. William sighed in relief. Yvonne was working her magic. She had been right to order him to talk to Spike. He felt a small bit of weight released from his shoulders as he had helped Spike to understand it was not his fault.

On the way back he also observed a slight change in Spike's demeanor. It was not so haunted. He was still silent but his did not have that million miles away look. It looked more like a man trying to understand and accept what his rational mind was telling him. William again thought he probably had much the same expression as Spike.

"What do we have here" William said with hint of lightness in his voice as he entered the kitchen.

It was a charming sight for weary eyes. Two women engaged in soft banter. Yvonne was standing at the counter her hands covered in cookie dough with ingredients surrounding her. The telltale canister of oatmeal, box of raisins and bag of walnuts on the counter indicated what type of cookies Yvonne was making. Sam's favorite.

He saw a more relaxed, less skittish looking and freshly washed Jules was seated on a stool with a cup tea in front of her. It did his heart good to see those small changes in Jules. William did a double take. Were those Samuel's clothes?

William remembered that t-shirt. The boy had practically lived in it for six months never wanting to take it off. Samuel was into the power rangers. He often thought it was more about having a preteen crush on the pink ranger. He grinned, perfect choice Yvonne.

Yvonne looked up and smiled brightly "Come on in boys. We are just making cookies. William the coffee is ready if you'd pour a cup for Spike and yourself. Or if you prefer Spike I have hot chocolate or a nice chamomile tea."

Spike responded "Coffee sounds good. Thank you." He pulled out a stool next to Jules. He looked at her for the first time in days. It was nice to see her smiling. She had finally showered too. Good sign he thought.

He wanted to hug her but wasn't sure he should or if she would allow it. She had been so different the past few days. She avoided all touch. So Spike asked "Okay to give you a hug Jules?"

Jules wrapped her arms around Spike tightly "You don't have to ask. Never have to ask."

Spike hugged her back and whispered in her ear "I'm so sorry you were hurt. I wish I could have prevented it. Can you forgive me for not taking better care of you?"

She whispered back "Nothing to forgive Spike. Nothing to forgive. I was his target and it could have happened anytime, anywhere." That thought sent shivers down her spine. Yeah it could have and it might again someday. That thought frightened her more than she liked. She was no longer quite so confident that she could protect herself completely.

He felt the shivers. He hated to admit that she was right, anytime and anywhere. Something like this could happen to her again. They all thought of her as a powerhouse, no more like the pink power ranger. But like them all she could be overpowered and hurt. He decided Sam's over-protectiveness of her wasn't so bad after all. He might just have to adopt some of his ways. Spike couldn't imagine life without his little sister.

Spike released her and asked "So what kind of cookies are you making?"

Yvonne answered "Well for starters Sam's favorite."

"Mmmmmm, love those when Jules makes them" Spike said then took a sip of coffee. He nearly dropped the mug as his right hand twinged and became weak. He quickly set it down as a slight frown crossed his face.

Jules said "We should make a double batch or Spike will be stealing Sam's portion."

William and Yvonne chuckled. Spike looked at Jules with 'aw come on, don't tell on me' expression.

Yvonne had noticed the almost spilled coffee. Right arm she recalled was where Spike was shot. Left arm was the metal shard. Weakness in the hands would not be good. Being the wife and mother of men who used guns for a living she knew how much they depended on a good grip.

As she was thinking William said "If I recall the story correctly Spike, Samuel had to chase you down a hallway and tackle you to get his cookie back."

Spike gave a small grin "Yeah well Jules cookies are worth fighting for."

"Hmmmm might be a good PT tactic to get Samuel up and walking. Get him to chase you for cookies" William joked.

Jules and Spike looked at one another. The man in front of them was not the hardassed General. The man actually joked and had an oh so Samtastic lopsided grin on his face. So that's where Sam got that facial expression.

Yvonne rinsed her hands off then wiped them on a paper towel as she laughed "You will do no such thing William. Sammy will work hard enough. These are meant to tempt him to eat something."

Then she looked at Spike "Jules tells me your mother taught you how to make bread and fresh pasta."

Spike nodded "Yeah, I love spending time with Ma in the kitchen. She's a fabulous cook and she is starting to teach me some of her famous recipes."

Glancing at her cook Yvonne sent an unspoken message to remain silent. Then Mrs. Braddock said to Spike "Good. I could really use your help. I was hoping I might impose on you to make some fresh pasta for dinner tonight."

Yvonne continued "Ida is a wonderful cook but uses store bought dried pasta. Unfortunately, it seems that we out. As you can no doubt smell Ida has a delicious marinara sauce simmering. Ida could run to the PX and get some dry pasta but I would love to have fresh pasta. That is if you are up to making some."

Ida remained silent. What was Mrs. Braddock up to? The pantry was well stocked with pasta of all sorts. She would ask later. Mrs. Braddock never did anything without a good reason.

William shot his wife a look. What was she up to now? Spike was exhausted and should not be made to help prepare dinner. He should be resting. William was about to say something when she caught his eye. He clamped down on his words by blowing on his hot coffee and taking a sip.

Spike answered "Sure I could do that." He thought not very well given his hands right now. But the Braddock's were kind enough to invite him into their home so it was the least he could do.

Yvonne beamed "Great. Just let Ida know what you need and she will retrieve it from the pantry and fridge." Yvonne thought nothing like a little covert hand therapy. Kneading the pasta dough would help improve his grip strength.

Cliff came into the kitchen and said "Ma'am it appears that Mr. Braddock is waking up. He's been stirring."

Yvonne thought perfect timing and said "Thanks Cliff. I'll be right in." The nurse turned and left.

Sam's mom then asked "Jules would you mind spooning out the dough onto the cookie sheets and making sure the timer is set. I really need to check on Sam?"

Jules got off the stool and went to the other side of the counter "I'd be happy to help." Jules was glad to have something to do. It would keep her mind off of things she'd rather not think of right now. And she would be helping Sam. He would probably eat the cookies. He never could resist them.

Yvonne handed her a spoon "William if you would be so kind as to put the cookie sheets in and out of the oven for Jules. I may be a while with Sammy."

William nodded understanding her magic a bit. Idle hands did the devils work popped into his head.

Yvonne went to a cabinet and pulled out a large mug with a picture of an alien and the word Son on it then filled it with coffee. As she reached the kitchen entrance she looked back over her shoulder. She smiled.

Good. Three of her four charges were now actively engaged in productive activities. Busy hands would keep them from brooding and stewing in their own thoughts.

Time to go see her most challenging and stubborn charge. She thought about how he had handled himself the past four days and tried to determine her strategy with Sam. She decided she would have to see what state he was in when he woke up to determine the right course for him.

* * *

 _ **Jules Home**_

Shel was standing in Jules backyard as Kevin picked her back door lock. With amusement she said "Oh Kevin I didn't know you had such criminal skills. Breaking and entering. Please tell me you won't ever go to the dark side."

Wordy chuckled "Shel I promise. But these are good guy skills too. How'd ya think we can go in silent to get the drop on the bad guy? Can't always just ring the doorbell and say please put down the AK-47 and let me cuff you."

There was a soft click as Wordy unlocked the door. As he put his lock picking tools away and put his hand on the doorknob he said "Plug your ears now. Jules alarm is gonna sound off and it is loud. Good thing I know the code to turn that off."

Shel asked "So why didn't you do this to the front door?"

"Two reasons. Don't want the neighbors watching me do it out of uniform. Might get the cops called on us. Also her brothers installed one of the newest heavy duty pick resistant locks. Not that it can't be picked, just takes more time. We don't have time. Gotta get Jules things then head to the Scarlatti's to get Spike's and get back to the barn by six" Wordy replied.

The door opened and the alarm sounded. Wordy rushed to the front door and entered the code to silence the alarm. Shel follow him then headed up to Jules room. Wordy joined her and opened the small duffle bag they had brought.

"So why did you bring me to do this? Jules is your teammate." Shel said seriously but hiding her knowing grin as she started opening one of the dresser drawers.

A blush started to creep onto Wordy's face as he stammered "I couldn't touch, you know, it wouldn't be right for me to pack her. You know her, her …"

Shel couldn't hide it anymore and laughed "Her unmentionables" as she held up a sports bra and then put it in the bag.

"Exactly!" Wordy stated glaring at his wife and turning a deep shade of red. "You're so having a grand time with this aren't you?" he grouched.

"Oh yeah I am. Teach you not to forget something as important as a change of clothes again. I still can't believe you guys didn't at least grab her gym bag from the barn. I mean four days in the same clothes and not hers to begin with. Only scrubs from the hospital" Shel softly chided.

"All you would have had to do is ask and either Sophie or I would have been here in a heartbeat to gather things for her. I just assumed you guys had that covered."

Then Shel thought and conveyed "Maybe I'm a bit to blame too? I should have asked. I think I was a bit overwhelmed by everything that happened though. I'm sure you were too. This whole thing is just awful."

Wordy stepped close and hugged her "No Shel. This is all on us. Greg, Ed or I should have thought of it. We will if there is a next time. But god I hope there is _never_ a next time."

Shel opened the next drawer searching for socks and was about to agree with him when she stopped "Oh my. What do we have here?"

Wordy almost didn't want to look but curiosity got the better of him. He did not expect what he saw. Not that he really knew what to expect but it certainly was not this.

He burst out laughing "Christ they are more than just dating. Sam's got his own drawer here. Good lord it is more serious than I thought."

Shel grinned at the thought of Sam and Jules being a real couple not just dating. About time and this gave her hope it was heading in the right direction. They were perfect for each other. She had always thought so.

Then she grimaced and looked at Kevin "Thank goodness neither Ed nor Greg came to get her things. It would be a very bad thing if they found a drawer full of Sam's clothes here. I mean there is no mistaking these are his clothes. That's one of his favorite t-shirts. It's has the stain from Allie's nail polish."

Wordy had a thought and popped into Jules bathroom "Yep it would have been bad. Sam's guy shampoo and body wash are in her shower too. And his shaving cream is on the vanity."

He laughed "There are also two toothbrushes. Wonder which one is Jules?"

As Shel finished packing Jules's clothes she called out "Grab them both. I'm sure Sam and Jules know whose is whose. I think we need to include a small note to let Jules know we were the ones that packed for her. She and Sam don't need anything else to worry about."

"Agreed" Wordy said then added "We can put all the get well cards in there too. Good thing I didn't mail them yet."

* * *

 _ **Scarlatti Home**_

Wordy knocked on the front door with Shel standing next to him. All the way over they had discussed Sam and Jules as a couple and all the difficulties that would pose for them. Shel concluded their discussion just before they arrived by voicing how happy she was that they would recuperate away from Greg's and Ed's watchful eyes.

Both had experienced such horrible trauma. They needed to be free to help each other in whatever manner that took. Away from Ed and Greg they could console one another as a couple would normally.

Shel privately hoped that these traumas did not pull them apart, they very easily could. She feared that if they had recuperated here that might happen. If they had been forced to ignore one another here a wedge of feeling unsupported by the other could very easily been driven between them. It was good they were away.

The door opened revealing a smiling Mrs. Scarlatti "Hello please come in. I'm just about done packing Mikie's things."

As they entered she added "His clothes are all packed Donatello is just getting his shaving kit and I just need to wrap up a small care package. Please sit."

Shel and Wordy took a seat on the sofa and waited. Shel turned to Kevin and whispered "I never knew Spike's dad was named Donatello. No wonder they named Spike Michelangelo. They have an artist theme going."

Wordy smiled he never knew either. Spike's father came in carrying two bags "These are for Michelangelo. Tell him to call his Mother. She worries." He dropped them on the ground and turned around leaving them both a little stunned and alone again in the living room.

Shel stared at Wordy with an 'oh my god' expression. Shel whispered "He didn't even ask how Spike was doing."

He whispered back "Not our place to judge. But his dad doesn't like that he is in SRU. I think he is just afraid of losing Spike and does not know how to express that emotion. Kinda like Eddie with anything other than anger."

Shel snickered thinking about poor Eddie. If there ever was a misunderstood man it was him. One go to emotion to cover how he really felt. From all Kevin had shared with her over the years Ed must really care about Sam. He was the target of Ed's wrath so often. Usually when Sam put himself in danger to protect someone else.

They stood as Mrs. Scarlatti came bustling back in. She was carrying two large brown paper sacks. A huge smile on her face she handed the bags to Shel "Please make sure these get to the Mikie, it's some Ma's Love."

Curious Shel asked "What is Ma's Love?"

Spike's mother waved her hands quickly in front of her then clasped them together fingers intertwined trying to stop the nervous habit. She raised her hands to her mouth and she teared up a bit as she said "It's just zeppoles filled with butter and honey. It's one of his favorites. Whenever I make them for him he tells me they taste like Ma's love. So that's what we call them now."

Her anxiety shone in her face and she was an animated bundle of energy as she remarked "I made enough for Mikie to share with the Braddocks. I so appreciate that they are taking care of my boy. That General Braddock was such a nice man on the phone. He spoke to me in Italian. He says that Mikie is doing well, eating and resting. He said that they have pond that Mikie can walk to."

"He even asked me what my boy's favorite foods are; said Mrs. Braddock wanted to make sure he felt at home." Tapping one of the bags Mrs. Scarlatti said "I've tucked a few recipes in so that Mikie can have some comfort foods. Such good people Mikie works with. Grazie, grazie."

Wordy picked up the travel bags from the floor since Shel already had the paper bags from Mrs. Scarlatti. Shel smiled and said "Yes the Braddock's are very kind and will take very good care of your boy. He will be back here in no time at all. I'll make sure Spike knows you sent the recipes. I'm sure they will all appreciate the wonderful zeppoles, Ma's Love you are sending them too."

Mrs. Scarlatti grabbed Wordy and kissed both cheeks "Thank you for rescuing my boy. Please remind Mikie to call."

Wordy was a bit stunned at the unexpected action but recovered quickly and grinned "I will. You take care now Mrs. Scarlatti."

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Sam's Room**_

Yvonne entered and looked to the nurse "Cliff, please take a much needed break. I have Sam for now. There's fresh coffee in the kitchen and cookies should be coming out of the oven shortly too." Yvonne set the coffee down on the nightstand as Cliff said thanks and left the room.

She sat on the bed and reached out to caress Sam's arm again. Softly she called out "Sammy time to wake up honey. Time to wake."

Sam's head moved back and forth a bit as soft whimpers were emitted. "Hush baby mommy's here. Hush. Hush my boy." She reached to thread her fingers through his hair. The whimpering increased but his head stilled and moved into her hand. She took her other hand and lightly placed it on the side of his face. "It's okay. Time to wake. Hush."

Yvonne could tell he was in a nightmare and was struggling to come up to consciousness. She could not hold the tears that finally welled in her eyes. Big tears rolled down her cheek and splashed onto his chest. "Wake sweetie. Wake for mommy. That's it. It will all be okay. Hush my boy."

 _Sam was lost in his nightmare. He was a little boy running, running and running. He was trying to reach his dad but every time he got close a needle would jab into him. It hurt to get close but he needed to reach him. He had to save his dad._

 _A huge, powerful, rabid wolf was chasing him. The wolf had man hands and would strike him when he got close. His short legs ran and ran trying to reach dad. The wolf was nipping at his heels._

 _He tripped and the wolf shredded his clothes laying him bare. It was growling and was mauling him. Not with teeth but with hands. Hands were all over him. Touching him were he did not want to be touched by the wolf._

 _He had to fight back. It was kill or be killed. The scent of lime, musk and cedar covered his body as the hands mauled him._

 _He couldn't let the wolf get to his dad. He couldn't call his dad for help. The wolf would kill his dad if he got near._ _He had to fight for himself._

 _He punched the wolf's snout. A needle was driven into his stomach. He punched again. Another needle. Every punch to the wolf brought the pain of needles piercing him._

 _He fought hard not giving into the pain of the needles. As he fought the coppery scent of blood and bile now mixed with lime, musk and cedar. It was grotesque and made him want to vomit._

 _Kill or be killed. He saved dad from the wolf. That's all that mattered. His dad got away and was safe._

 _The fight was leaving him. He could not punch anymore his hands and feet restrained. The wolf was winning. The wolf was laughing as he struggled to get away._

 _He was trapped and his life's blood seeped into the ground. He was dying. The demon wolf was winning._

 _It hurt to die._

At the edges of consciousness slowly a soothing sound drowned out the wolf's growling laughter. It was soft and lyrical calling to him; reassuring him. He wanted to go to the sound. It was safe where that sound was.

The scent of vanilla, cinnamon and coffee began to dispel the blood, lime, musk and cedar. Touch soft and warm. It beckoned him to come to it. He craved the touch. It soothed him. It took the hurt away. It was safe.

Sam's eye snapped open searching, searching he had to find the safety that sound and scent offered.

"Hello my boy" Yvonne softly said caressing his face.

Found it. "Mom" he whimpered.

"Hush my boy. I'm here." Yvonne bent down her face inches from his locking eyes. She saw the hurt, sorrow, rage, pain, and confusion all churning in his eyes. She moved one hand over his heart and felt its rapid beating. As her other hand continue to stroke his hair lightly she began to feel his heart slow to a normal rhythm.

"There, that's better my boy" she crooned softy.

"You are really here. It's not a figment of my imagination?" Sam asked quietly and unsure.

"Really here Sammy. You are home. It's going to be okay. You will fight back again. The demons will not win. We won't let them win" Yvonne looked at him sincerely.

Sam reached up with his right hand and touched his mom's cheek. It was wet. "Don't cry mom. I'll be okay. I promise. I'll fight them. I won't let them win. Please don't cry."

Taking her hand away from his heart she wiped her tears away. She sniffed twice and tried to put on a bright smile that didn't quite work "No crying. Right?"

Sam shook his head no quickly as the tears sprouted and streamed down from his own eyes. He reached around his mother's shoulder with his only free arm and pulled her to him. Yvonne laid her head in the crook of his neck. Mother and son cried. Both comforting the other. Both crying for the pain the other felt.

Sometime later when tears were finally spent Yvonne pulled away from her son and went to the bathroom. She wet a washcloth and wiped her face. She rinsed the cloth and went back to Sam. Gently she wiped away his tear streaks. Folding the cloth she set it aside.

"Better" Yvonne said.

"Better" Sam replied.

Yvonne asked "Coffee?"

Sam nodded. She helped him sit up. It was difficult given both legs were hurt and one arm immobilized. Once settled she handed him the cup.

After taking a sip, Sam looked at his mom and said "Mom Jules needs help. So does Spike."

She patted his knee "I know. You're gonna help them."

"How can I help them? I'm stuck in this bed. I can't even get to the bathroom" Sam plaintively voiced.

Yvonne grinned "You can help them by joining us at the dinner table tonight."

Sam snapped "I just told you I can't even make it to the bathroom. What makes you think I can make it to the dinner table?"

"You're resourceful. Figure it out son. I expect you at the table in thirty minutes. Shorts are fine but you need to be wearing a shirt at the table son. Do you understand?" Yvonne asked then she stood and walked to the door and waited for a response.

He just looked at his mom like she had gone mad. How the hell was he supposed to make it to the dinner table on his own? Let alone put a shirt on by himself? What the hell was she thinking? He was about to reply with a smart-assed comment when it hit him. Not on his own. Not by himself.

He gave his mom a lopsided grin "Can you ask Spike and Jules to come in here?"

Yvonne nodded "I knew you were a smart boy."

"Only cause I have a smart mom" was his fast reply.

"I'll send your Dad in to help too."

"Thanks mom. I love you!" Sam said with sincerity.

He took a sip of his coffee thinking he had the best mom ever. She knew what they needed, even his dad. She knew what he needed too. He had needed a swift kick in the ass so to speak. It was time to fight to get back into shape and deal with his issues instead of running away via sleep.

"Love you to Sammy" Yvonne replied then headed to the kitchen.

She took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly. Things were moving in the right direction. It might be a tough road for them. But at least she had plugged the drain. They were no longer floundering and swirling at the bottom of the drain waiting to go down the pipe.


	6. Washed Into Gray, A Puppy Instead & Kiss

**Washed Into Gray, A Puppy Instead & Kiss**

* * *

 _ **SRU HQ - Briefing Room**_

Ed was sitting in the briefing room when Wordy arrived. Wordy had dropped Shel off at home then headed to the barn. Ed looked up "You get everything?"

"Yeah. Glad I took Shel with me to get Jules things."

Ed laughed "I know what you mean. If I went I would've taken Sophie. I guess we could've always sent Donna."

"Nah, better this way. Jules is close with Shel and Sophie so she wouldn't mind so much I think. But after what happened having anyone else rummaging around in her things might make her uneasy" Wordy observed. Taking a seat he asked "Have you heard from Greg?"

Ed motioned with his head towards the gym "In there. Gonna have to replace that heavy bag soon."

"That bad? Damn. I was hoping for a good outcome. What the heck is the brass thinking?" Wordy griped.

Swiveling in the chair Ed had a contemplative look "I'm not so sure it was bad. Greg was a bit hard to read when he came in. He should be finished soon. Said Dean was staying with a friend tonight so he can join us at the Goose."

As if on cue Greg walked into the briefing room with a towel slung around his neck one end in his hand wiping his brow as the other hand held a water bottle.

"Hey Boss. How'd it go?" Wordy queried.

Greg sat and then opened the bottle and took a long swig. He wiped his forehead again and smiled. "I'm hopeful. The statement from Gaston Dupont I think was the final piece for them to see it for what it actually is. However, the side-by-side time comparison video helped a lot too. Ed, make sure you thank Cami for us."

Ed watched him and something was just off "What was it that made you come in and abuse the heavy bag?"

Shaking his head Greg said "Just some people's attitudes. We are all on the same team, all trying to make this a better and safer place. I just will never get interdepartmental squabbles. Captain Brunello is a piece of work. He can't see reason because he has preconceived ideas and attitudes. The truth basically slapped him upside the head and he refused to see it. Implied, no outright said that the General and Spike would lie to cover for Sam."

It pissed Ed off that their sworn statements were questioned and he said "I knew we should have included Shade's and Hound's statement too. They are unrelated and not on the same team. They would be less likely to be questioned."

"No. No we could not do that Ed. You know why" Wordy responded.

"I still say we should have. Sam's life is in the balance here. His job, his reputation, just everything. They are ripping him to shreds in the media and we sit silent; quiet as lambs when I want to roar like a lion. I can't stand it. We should have included them." Ed stood and walked to the window his blood boiling again.

Wordy came alongside Ed. Staring out the window too, Wordy stated "Eddie it has to be up to Sam whether certain things are ever made public. That's just way too personal for any of us to let out without his consent. You know full well that if Shade or Hound provided statements there would be questions none of us want to answer as to why they are here."

Greg came up on the other side and added "We all want to help. We all are sick of hearing the garbage spewed about Sam. But we have to keep the incidents separate for now. Detective Jackson is diligently working to build a solid case without the need to involve Sam. Can you imagine what they might say in the media about him if it got out?"

"Not everyone. Probably not even the vast majority. But it only takes a few and they could twist things badly. And if we think Sam's reputation is suffering now. Just imagine what could happen in the hands of some media lizards" Greg concluded.

Ed pinched the bridge of his nose "I know. I can see the perverse headlines now. It's just not right. Not right at all. I need to have Sam's back. Sam, Spike, Jules. Ah crap it's just all fucked up right now. I just want things back the way they were before that damned Anagram Killer targeted our guys."

Greg patted his back "I'm with you on that. Just be patient and let Gibbson, Rudolph and the others work with the system and get it all straightened out. I have to trust that justice will prevail. I'm gonna hit the showers then we can head out to the Goose."

Ed nodded as Greg headed for the locker room. Wordy watched his friend closely "What's going through your mind Ed? From here it doesn't look too good."

Turning to look directly at his friend Ed stated flatly "System better work. We know too many people in Sam's life that would not think twice in meting out their own justice if Dupont gets away with this." Ed's mind began to list the names with Blaze and the General at the top followed by every Braddock cousin and uncle, Winds, Mason, and any other JTF2 buddy.

Ed was surprised to find that he listed his name somewhere between Mason and Winds. His black and white world of rules and protocols just got washed into gray. Would he or could he ever do something outside the law to protect Sam? It was both with sadness and astonishment at how much he had come to care for Sam that he realized yes he could be driven to do that.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Kitchen**_

Mrs. Braddock walked into the kitchen to find her husband engaged in telling a story as Spike and Jules sat listening.

"… so I had been looking for him for ages. I had to call the MPs to help in the search he was nowhere to be found. I mean just how far could a six year old get? My brother Mark was on base at the time so he came over to watch Sara for me. I even had to have a driver to bring Yvonne and Natalie home. I couldn't leave the search until Samuel was found."

"I was at the edge of the woods near the house when Yvonne got home. She came directly out to me carrying Natalie. I'd only seen her for an hour or so the night before. Beautiful baby girl, so tiny." The General's eyes got a faraway look. Then he shook himself remembering his story "Anyways, Yvonne walked toward me at the woods. She could see I was very upset. Call it self-preservation. I wouldn't let the driver tell her why I didn't come to get her and Natalie from the hospital."

"I froze in terror as she walked towards me because I lost one of her cubs. She is as protective as any momma bear. I was afraid to tell her Samuel was missing. She took one look at me, read my face and declared 'Where is Sammy?' I was shaking in my boots and had to admit that Samuel was lost and had been gone for over three hours. As soon as that was out of my mouth we heard a rustling in the trees. We looked up and there was Samuel about thirty feet up in one of the trees."

"Yvonne ordered him down. When he got down he hung his head as his mom asked him why he had run away. I could barely contain my laughter as Samuel pouted and said he didn't run away he just climbed a tree. When she asked him why, he confessed. He said that he was mad and had wanted a brother not another silly sister. Then he told her she should take Natalie back and just get a puppy instead if they couldn't give her a boy."

Spike and Jules were laughing hard. They could just imagine Sam as a little boy pouting and declaring he wanted a brother or a puppy instead of Natalie.

The General continued "Yvonne sat down right there with him. Samuel crawled into her lap and she placed Natalie in his arms. I'm not sure what she whispered in his ear but his whole demeanor changed. He carried Natalie into the house and sat in the rocking chair with her until Yvonne had to feed and change her. Never did ask her what she said to him."

Yvonne walked up behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders. She sighed, part of her hurt wondering if her words were partly to blame with what happened to him after Sara's death. But she had seen early on who he was and what he was. He was a Braddock male and at the core they were mostly the same.

She leaned in close and said softly "I told him that he was special. That he had been given two adorable little sisters to care for and protect." More loudly she said "I think that is enough embarrassing stories about Sam."

The all looked abashed until she added with a bright smile "At least until dinner when he joins us at the table. Jules, Spike he would like you to come to his room."

Both were off their stools quickly and heading to Sam's room.

William looked at his wife "How did you manage that? The boy can't even walk?"

Shrugging her shoulders Yvonne remarked "I haven't managed it yet. That's where you come in. Give those three about five minutes to talk then head in there. Take Cliff with you. Spike and Jules will want to help but won't have the strength to maneuver Sam out of bed. I suspect they will have a plan put together by the time you arrive. You'll just be the muscle to execute it. I gave Sammy thirty minutes to make it to the table."

William wrapped her in a hug "God I don't know what I'd ever do without you woman. You are so special and I dearly love you. Within the span of a few hours you have cleared away the gloom and doom that has been hanging over our heads. You are my sunshine and bring brightness to my world I can't live without." He kissed her soundly but tenderly until his appointed time to head to Samuel's room.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Sam's Room**_

Spike raced in with Jules closely following "Samtastic you're awake." He dragged the chair over near the bed and sat down as Jules sat on the edge of the bed.

Sam liked the enthusiasm his heard in Spike's voice. He saw that Jules had showered. Wait what the heck was she wearing? He smiled.

A strange thought crossed his mind. Jules looked a little bit like the pink ranger. He chuckled as he thought of his preteen crush and that now the pink ranger was his girlfriend.

He would actually get to kiss the pink ranger. God he wanted to kiss her right now but Spike was here. He would have to wait.

Jules ventured "What's so funny?" She looked at him longingly. She had missed him terribly and all she wanted to do right now was curl into his arms. Maybe kiss him too. His kisses could take her away from all her bad thoughts.

Sam blinked out of his thoughts. She probably wouldn't like the comparison so reached out a hand and touched her arm "You are looking a bit better today. How are you feeling?"

Spike rolled his eyes "Sheesh! Just kiss already. I'll even close my eyes if you want."

Sam and Jules stared at him stunned at his comment.

Spike stared back for a moment then resolutely closed his eyes "See. Closed. Now kiss."

He heard Jules shift on the bed and barely cracked one eye open. Yep. He closed it again and grinned.

She shifted and leaned into Sam. His right arm wrapped around her. Their eyes met and held as their lips connected. Jules wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed. The kiss was slow and gentle meant to convey care and love.

Jules pulled back. Sam's head followed not wanting the connection to end quite yet. Jules leaned back in and rejoined their lips. His kiss gave her strength she needed. Her kiss gave him the purpose he needed.

Sam ended the second kiss before he was completely lost. He had an order from his mom and he better not fail. Sam let his head fall back on the headboard. He sighed and smiled at Jules.

Jules sat back up and smiled at Sam. Then she tapped Spike's arm "You can open your eyes now."

Spike opened them and grinned at his best friends "Thank god you're finally done. Ya know I'd say get a room but …."

"Shut up Spike" Sam threw out chuckling. Jules lightly jabbed him in the thigh. She didn't want to hurt his arms.

Sam ran his hand over his face "So, I got orders from mom to be at the dinner table in …" He checked the clock "In twenty-three minutes now. I gotta be wearing a shirt too. I need some help. I have no idea how I'm gonna get there with no wheelchair."

Sam shifted slightly on the bed "Hell I don't even know how I'll manage to get out of the bed even if we did have a wheelchair. But I was hoping you two would help me figure it out. It's an unwritten Braddock rule; you follow mothers' commands to the tee. Otherwise there is hell to pay from all the Braddock women."

Jules headed for the dresser and shot over her shoulder "Spike you find some type of chair with wheels. I'll help Sam with his shirt."

Spike nearly collided with the General on his way out "Uh Sir. Sorry. Gotta find a chair with wheels for Samtastic. Any ideas where you have one that might work?"

The General grinned "Grab my desk chair from my study. It should work."

Turning to Samuel he said "Good to see you up son. Glad you'll be joining us for dinner."

Sam replied grimacing slightly as Jules eased his arm out of the sling "Mom's orders."


	7. Dinner Fun, You're Off the Team & I Need

**Dinner Fun,** **You're Off the Team & I Need**

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Dining Room**_

Spike pushed Sam up to the dinner table with one minute to spare. Jules came along side and slid to a stop then asked urgently "You okay Sam?"

Sam blew out a shaky breath as he released his death grip on the arm of the chair "Yeah, maybe next time you drive. Spike is a little too wild." He looked up at Spike as he concentrated on slowing his breathing down.

Spike just grinned back at him with the humor reaching up to his eyes. "What? Gotta have a little fun" he defended.

Jules approached him with her good arm raised menacingly "Yeah but Sam has only one hand. You should not have …"

Spike backed off laughing with his hands up defensively "Okay, ok. I promise. I drive like a sedate grandma next time. No more spinning and running."

Yvonne walked in on the scene and had to hide her chuckle. It was good to see those three smiling and joking around. It was a start. She knew each of them still had emotional demons to fight and physical wounds to heal but together they would help each other. She said "Dinner's just about ready. Spike, can I get a hand bringing in the last dish?"

Glad for the escape Spike hopped to it and scooted past Jules just barely missing getting a light jab "Sure Mrs. Braddock."

Yvonne turned to William as he entered "Is Cliff joining us at the table?"

"No he said he wanted to go for a walk and he would grab something later. I saw him and Ida heading out towards the pond" William said giving her a knowing look. "It'll be just the five of us for dinner."

Turning to his son General Braddock nodded "I see you made it just in time Samuel. Cutting it a bit close there huh. Wouldn't want to be in your shoes if you were late."

"No Sir. That wouldn't be good" Sam chuckled looking at his mom and giving her a lopsided grin.

Spike entered carrying the last dish and they took their seats. Yvonne observed Spike help by holding the bowls and plates for both Jules and Sam so they could serve themselves because they were down to one hand each. Spike then sat at Sam's left and Jules at Sam's right.

Sam looked down at his plate. He was very hungry and it was tempting to eat even if it meant embarrassing himself later. Right handed it would be difficult to manage the fork. As he looked at the chicken breast on his plate he thought with one arm strapped tight to his chest it would be impossible to cut his food.

Maybe he could spear the whole thing and eat it cave man style. Probably wouldn't go over so well table manners wise with his mom. He would surely earn a small reprimand for doing so but what else was he to do?

Duh, ask for help Sam chided himself.

Unhappily contemplating how often he would have to ask for help until his could do things for himself Sam saw his plate moved out from in front of him. Jules pulled Sam's plate closer to her and without saying a word cut up his chicken into bite sized pieces. She picked up his slice of French bread and slathered it with butter. She moved it back in front of Sam.

Sam was quietly amazed how Jules just did what was needed for him without him asking. She had steadied the chicken with the casted arm and cut it with her other. That simple act of kindness settled deep in his heart. Softly he said "Thanks."

"No problem. Now eat before your stomach growls at us" Jules quipped.

Sam dug in ravenously. Dinner was a lighthearted affair with Sam, Jules and Spike telling embarrassing stories about each other from various SRU calls. All five engaged in eating and laughing. There were many compliments on the fresh pasta and Spike promised to make bread tomorrow when Mrs. Braddock expressed an interest in tasting his mother's special recipe.

Two hours later with two servings of dinner and three cookies packed away in his stomach Sam sat back and looked at his parents. He owed them both big-time for what they were doing to help. He stifled a yawn covering it with his right hand. In the satiated lull in the conversation Sam began to wonder. Just how did he hurt his shoulder? He didn't remember it hurting when they pulled him off of Dupont. He was about to ask when his dad spoke.

As the conversation ebbed William reached over and placed his hand over Yvonne's as it rested on the table. He squeezed it lightly letting her know he was thankful for what she had accomplished. He looked at his son and saw the lines of weariness and pain. Samuel hid pain all too well. As nice and fun as dinner was it was time to get him back to bed.

He stood and said "Samuel I think it's time to get you back to bed. Looking a bit worse for wear right now son."

Spike hopped up and put his hands on the back of Sam's chair. Jules rose and smoothly pushed him away "Oh no you don't mister. Sam just ate he doesn't need to get chair sick from another wild ride from you."

Pouting Spike said "I promised to drive nice." Looking at Mrs. Braddock he thought of his Ma and how slow she drove and another thought popped into his head to reassure them all that he would take it slow and easy this time.

Spike said resolutely "I promise to drive like Mrs. Braddock."

Both Sam and William shouted "No!"

Surprised Spike looked between them. Father, mother and son burst out laughing. William finally settled and said "Samuel used to have a nickname for his mom. Mommio Andretti. I think your ride earlier would be considered a sedate stroll compared to Yvonne's driving."

Yvonne rolled her eyes and looked at her husband with an expression of humorous tolerance.

Uncertain Jules asked "As in Mario Andretti the race car driver?"

Sam snorted then laughed and said quietly "Yeah. That's why dad hired a driver for her. Safer for everyone on base that way."

"I heard that Samuel William Braddock. I'll have you know that my father trained me well to drive" Yvonne said with a mix of playfulness and pride.

William patted her forearm "Yes my dear he did but for the race track. Not the streets of the base."

He looked at Spike and Jules and added "Her father Sir Alastair Loving was a well-known race car driver in his youth before settling down into the family business. I think Yvonne might have made one heck of a racer too. But she had the good sense to marry me instead."

That earned him a soft whack on his arm from Yvonne which caused them all to laugh.

Jules slowly pushed Sam to his room. Half way there Jules leaned down and whispered in Sam's ear "I like your mom."

Sam replied "I'm glad. I think she's the best."

* * *

 _ **The Goose**_

Wordy was the first to arrive at the Goose. Greg was riding with Ed and Sophie called to ask Ed to run Clark to a friend's house because she had already put a very fussy Izzy down for bed and did not want to wake her. Wordy told them he would meet with the temps and let them know the others would be a little late.

Walking in the Goose he located a table with the three. Wordy waved to Casey. The waitress waved back and called out "The usual Wordy?"

Wordy responded "Yeah." At the table he slid onto the stool next to Brisa and across from Jude and Chad. He greeted them "Evening Brisa, Jude, Chad. Glad you all could make it. Ed and Sarge will be here shortly. Ed needed to run an errand for his wife."

Each one of them responded with a greeting. Casey sidled up to the table with his beer. She asked "Where's the rest of the team Wordy?"

"Ed and Greg will be here soon. Like you to meet Jude, Chad and Brisa. They are joining us on Team One for a bit" Wordy stated.

Casey's face fell "Where are Spike and Jules?"

"On leave at the moment. Don't worry they will be back soon." Wordy felt a little bad stating that in front of the temps but it was the truth and they were well aware of it. He also did not elaborate why they were on leave. The details of Jules attack and the abduction had not made it to the press thank goodness.

Casey nodded "Good you guys deserve vacation. How is Sam holding up? I don't believe a word of what they are saying on TV about him."

Wordy was decidedly uncomfortable in discussing Sam with anyone but the team. It was no one's business. He was sick of hearing Sam bad mouthed. But he also didn't want to talk about Sam with acquaintances either even if they supported Sam.

He simply said "I prefer not to discuss it Casey." Wordy was glad when Casey got hailed by another table and left.

Jude asked "Scarlatti and Callaghan are on vacation? I thought they were on medical leave."

Rubbing his hand over his mouth Wordy took a deep breath "Let's not discuss them here. We can …" his phone rang and he stopped to check the id. "It's my wife. Excuse me a moment please." Wordy answered "Hey Shel." He listened a moment and then said "Hang on a second it's too loud here. I can't hear you."

Wordy turned to the three "I'll just be a few." He indicated to the phone as he headed for the bathroom where he knew it would be quiet enough to hear Shel.

Jude looked at the other two "Well this is turning into a bit of a bust."

Chad laughed "Well they are older and have families and such. One reason I'm never getting married. Don't want a ball and chain."

"Ya just haven't met the right woman yet" Jude countered. "Thought that myself until I started dating Cynthia a few months back. She can slap me in leg irons any day." Jude rambled on about his latest girlfriend.

Brisa was bored with their banter and her attention was drawn to the TV. They were running yet another story on Sam Braddock. God that man was horrible. It looked like his teammate was ashamed to even be associated with him. He was so upset he wouldn't even discuss with the waitress who appeared to know the team and like Sam.

It was clear the waitress didn't want to accept that someone she knew could be that awful. People often denied the truth because they thought it would reflect badly on them by association. They tended to bury their heads in the sand when faced with facts.

She looked at the other two when their conversation lulled "So what do you guys think about Braddock?"

Jude shrugged "Can't believe everything you hear on the news. I'll hold judgement until the legal process takes place."

Chad added "Not sure what to think. But if he did do it then it would mean that at least one of these temporary slots would become permanent."

Smiling Brisa said "That would be good. Which one of us do you think they would pick to replace him?"

Both Jude and Chad shared a quick look not liking that question. Yeah it would be nice if one slot became permanent but it was too soon to even think about something like that. The Sarge, Ed and Wordy all were quite clear this was a temporary gig for all of them.

Jude decided to feel out Brisa's attitude on Sam since she had asked them their opinion "So what to think of him?"

Looking at the TV, Brisa saw that they were now showing a split screen. One side was a photo of Dupont all beaten up in his hospital bed. On the opposite side a reporter was talking with Dupont's lawyer. She couldn't hear what was being said but she could imagine. "I think Sam did it. Otherwise the brass would have put out a statement to the contrary."

"Really you think they would do that before it was investigated properly?" Jude asked a bit stunned by her willingness to make a judgement without proper information.

"Yeah really I do. I mean come on. The guy is ex-military. He did two tours. Not just regular tours, he was in Special Forces. That's gotta mess a guy up. He clearly is suffering from PTSD. Look at that man's face." She indicated to the TV. The other two turned and look at it then back to Brisa.

"No sane man would do that to someone. He was out of control yelling at his father and a teammate in the physical therapy department. I mean his father has not even made a statement to the media refuting the fact that his son was not attacking him. His dad probably is so disappointed and ashamed to have raised someone that would do that to another human being."

"In fact I bet all of Team One is glad to finally have that guy off their team. I heard they never even picked him. He was just forced on them years ago. I know I wouldn't want to work with someone like that. Never knowing if he was gonna lose it and attack me" Brisa concluded.

Jude and Chad stared dumbfounded. Partly because of the words of her rant but mostly because of the fury they saw ignite on Wordy's face behind her as she had spoken. Oh shit if looks could kill Jude thought. Chad thought damned glad I'm not Brisa.

Brisa looked at her two new teammates and wondered at their silence "What?"

Wordy had approached the table and heard Brisa's rant from the point she said 'Yeah really I do'. He was too stunned to interrupt her. But indignation built with every offensive thing she spewed out about Sam.

Ed and Greg were approaching the table from behind Jude and Chad. Greg was about to wave hi to Brisa who was facing him but he saw Wordy's face contorted in rage. He stopped and grabbed Ed's arm halting him too.

Ed looked to Greg "What? They are just over there" he said point to the group. His eyes landed on Wordy behind Brisa and saw the barely contained fury. "Oh shit. Wordy's gonna blow."

They rushed forward just as Wordy unleashed his torrent "Just what the hell do you know? Nothing. You know nothing about Sam. How dare you speak so ill of someone you don't know. Sam is one of the kindest most honorable men I know."

"You have no concept of RESPECT if you can give voice to those half-baked rumors. I'm sorry but I refuse to work with you. Your services on Team One will not be needed."

Brisa turned as Wordy was shouting at her. Her face drained of all color looking at the enraged man.

But she got defensive and said back to him in a overconfident voice "You may not be able to accept the facts I stated but whether or not I'm on the team is not your decision to make. That is for the Sergeant to decide. I'm sure he will side with me. There is no denying Sam did it. All you have to do is look at the pictures of poor Dupont's face."

Ed and Greg had made their way to Wordy rounding on him from opposite sides as he had vented. Reaching him they both put a calming hand on his shoulders. Ed whispered to him "Calm down. She's not worth it Wordy."

They had attracted the attention of everyone in the bar. Everyone quit speaking and turned to see what was happening.

Greg turned to Brisa and stated flatly "You're off the team. I think you should leave now."

Brisa sputtered "But he's guilty."

Ed roared "Sam Braddock is NOT GUILTY and it will be PROVEN once the FACTS ARE KNOWN."

Brisa grabbed her purse and stomped out of the Goose.

The Goose burst into applause as she left. Several officers stopped by the table to offer words of support for the team and Sam and bought Team One a round of drinks.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Sam's Room**_

It was late and Sam could not sleep. Cliff had finally headed off to his own room for the night at the urging of his mom. She had kissed him goodnight and placed a phone within reach telling him to call Cliff he needed any help during the night.

He looked at the clock, one twenty three. It was going to be a long night. Now that he was no longer running from his incapacity via sleep he cut back on the pain meds and refused the sedative. But in doing so he knew the nightmares would come back with a vengeance.

The image of the man in the window was so clear. The cast on Jules arm was a beacon that yelled at him that he was not there to protect her from that bastard. Even though he had not talked to Jules about the specifics of what happened his fertile mind conjured up any number of scenarios of the man attacking her.

As sure as he knew he was having nightmares about it he was just as sure Jules was having them too. He wished he could just hold her and comfort her. He wanted to sneak up to her room and crawl into bed with her and wrap his arms around her and let her cry. But he was stuck in this damned bed.

If he had the use of both arms he would have found a way. But he didn't. That reminded him again that he needed to ask how he dislocated his shoulder. He was quite sure it hadn't happened either while he was pummeling Dupont or when they dragged him off. There were also new bruises on his wrists and ankles. Those he attributed to the guys holding him down when he was out of his mind with rage.

Christ what had he done. He got lost in his blind fury. That bastard was going to kill his dad. He should have only restrained him. Aw damn what had he done?

Sam was lost in self-recrimination for beating the hell out of Dupont and wondering what the repercussions would be when the door to his room opened slowly. He tensed at first but then relaxed.

She opened the door slowly after padding as quietly as she could down the stairs and across the lower level to get to his room. Knowing Sam as she did, she knew she should announce herself as soon as the door started opening "Sam it's me Jules."

Jules slipped into the room and closed the door. She hovered next to the door waiting for a response. In her head she was telling herself this had been a bad idea. But she had to see him.

When no response came she thought he might be asleep but then realized he was waiting for her to speak. So softly explained "Sam I couldn't sleep. I need …" she trailed off thinking again this was a bad idea.

This was Sam's parent's house. What would they think of her if they found her in here this late at night? She should just leave his room.

Sam heard the uncertainty in Jules voice "Jules come here please."

Jules moved quickly to the bed. "Sorry I shouldn't have come but I need …"

"Shhhhh come here" Sam extended his right arm out to his side.

Without another thought Jules crawled onto the bed on Sam's right side and curled close to him placing her head on his chest just below his shoulder. Sam wrapped his arm securely around her pulling Jules snug against his side.

Sam softly said "I'm glad you came Jules. I need to hold you. I need to know you are safe and everything will be alright. I need you Jules."

She tilted her head up as he tilted his down. They gazed at one another. She reached her hand up and placed it on his cheek. He turned his head to kiss the palm of her hand. She caressed his face.

Jules responded "I need you to hold me. When I'm with you I'm safe. When I'm with you I know everything is going to be alright. I need you Sam."

The gates holding back their tears flung wide open.

She cried. He comforted.

He cried. She comforted.

Much later when both were exhausted Jules reached down and pulled the covers over both of them. Sam's arm held her securely to him. Jules's arm lay lovingly across his stomach. Sam kissed the top of her head. She kissed his hand.

They both drifted off into a deep, restful sleep knowing that tonight the nightmares would be kept at bay because they had one another. They knew that when tomorrow came they would be alright because they had each other. Together they would slay their demons.


	8. Ok But This Shirt Is Coming Back With Us

**Ok But This Shirt Is Coming Back With Us**

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Sam's Room**_

Sam woke slowly to the soft scent of cherry blossoms. Ahhh the fragrance of Jules after her bath yesterday. It felt so good to have Jules in his arms again. He felt her warm even exhales on his chest. She was still asleep.

Glancing at the clock he noticed it was near ten am. They had slept soundly about seven hours; neither of them hampered by nightmares. He should probably wake Jules but he really did not want to just yet. He was enjoying just holding her close.

He relaxed and let his mind wander. A grin slowly emerged on his face as a thought formed; he was holding the Pink Ranger. He let fantasies of the Pink Ranger run wild.

Sam felt Jules begin to stir and her hand slid lower on his stomach getting dangerously low. Oh god the fantasy that triggered. Oh god if her hand goes any lower she will feel the result of that fantasy. He reached out and tried to gently move her hand higher. She resisted.

Breathe Braddock, breathe. Think of something unsexy. Mud. Mud is unsexy. No on Jules it's sexy. Crap. Think of something else quick. Cold shower. Cold shower. That brought images of Jules in the shower. Crap. He was in a real fix now. The more he tried to think of something to deflate the feeling below the more it solidified it.

He was so screwed. Crap. Screwed. What a word to think of at this moment. Ah shit she's gonna wake and this is gonna be hard to explain and somewhat embarrassing. He continued to actively try to mentally reverse the effects of her touch on his body as her hand slowly moved lower. It was not working.

Jules woke slowly. Something was pulling her to wakefulness. She heard Sam's erratic breathing. She felt him try to move her arm upwards. Jules blinked her eyes open without moving another muscle. What was wrong with Sam? Was he in pain?

Oh poor Sam Jules thought as her eyes landed on the problem. In a morning husky voice Jules said "Hey soldier standing at attention for me?" as her hand deliberately slid lower.

Sam's ragged intake of breath and groan was music to her ears. She tilted her head up to watch his face. She loved she could make him feel like that. She scooted up and captured his mouth with hers. Deeply kissing his mouth while her hand worked magic below. After many minutes she felt his whole body tense then shudder as he moaned "Jules."

Jules held him close lightly kissing his jawline and neck as the spasms ebbed and his breathing returned to normal. She whispered "Good morning soldier."

Sam opened his eyes and sought hers "Great morning my beautiful Pink Ranger."

Jules chuckled "Pink Ranger?" Then she thought about the shirt she was wearing. "You had a crush on the Pink Ranger didn't you?"

"Ooooh yeaaaah! Will _you_ be my Pink Ranger?" Sam said in a sexy, gravelly voice.

Jules burst out in a fit of giggles "As long as _you_ will be my Green Ranger." She slid off the bed and went to the bathroom then the dresser for a change of boxers for Sam.

When they finished cleaning up Jules took the washcloth and boxers to the hamper in the bathroom. She walked to the bed and sat at the edge. In that short span of time Jules could see something shifted in Sam's eyes and he was having trouble looking at her. Something was definitely bothering him. She waited for him to speak. It never did good to push him.

As Jules walked to the bathroom Sam was slammed hard with a thought. Oh god how could he have done that? Now of all times! Shit! It was only a few days ago that she had almost been raped. God fucking dammit! He was so god damned inconsiderate. How could he? He should have taken more care with how she might feel about being intimate so close after being attacked.

He felt as she sat on the edge of the bed. Oh god, how could he look her in the eyes? He was such a fucking cad; almost literally. Why couldn't he have been a gentleman and controlled his body better.

Eyes at half-mast with sorrow and remorse lacing his words Sam said "Jules I'm so sorry."

Jules looked at him questioningly. Sorry for what she thought. Sam confused her sometimes still. He was complex and understanding his thinking at times was like trying to unsnarl a tangled ball of yarn a kitten had batted around for days.

She picked up his hand and entwined their fingers as she asked "Sorry for what Sam?"

Disgust at himself edged into his tone "This. What just happened."

Confusion kept Jules from seeing what he meant "Changing boxers?"

"No" was the clipped answer as Sam turned his head to the side and dropped his eyes in shame for his actions.

Jules read shame on his face. She bit her lower lip "You mean because you didn't give me pleasure this time?"

Sam's head snapped back to Jules his eyes wide both confused and pleading for forgiveness "No. Yes. No. Yes. NO. Ah hell Jules. It was too soon. I should have had more control. After what happened to you I should have …"

His words were cut off as Jules's mouth descended on his kissing him into silence. It was a deep, sensuous kiss that Jules controlled completely. Sam was lost and followed Jules's lead entirely.

When Jules pulled back a mere inch she fervently stated "It is you who I draw strength from. I won't lie the attack has shaken me to the core. But not in this way. Not with you. It could never shake the trust I have with you. What we shared this morning was love, passion and souls connecting."

With a wicked smile and a husky tone she added "If you recall it was me that initiated it. It is what I wanted. I could have just gotten out of bed. But I wanted to give you pleasure. I wanted to see that look on your face when you are lost to me and only me. I needed to hear you call out my name, call to my heart, call to my soul."

Sam listened to her words. As they sunk in the shame and disgust feelings were shoved away by a sense of wonder. How in the world was he so lucky to have found the one woman who knew exactly what he needed? The one who with just a word, a touch, a glance or a soft breath could heal and strengthen him. He did not deserve to have someone so special in his life.

Words would not form to express his feelings. Instead Sam's eyes soften to a smoky blue giving Jules view into the depths of his soul. It was a look that he reserved for only Jules. It reflected the trust she gave him with the trust he gave her.

Jules understood from his eyes that he took to heart her words. She kissed him again but softly and tenderly. Then she hugged him and whispered in his ear "As for the other, let's just say the Green Ranger owes the Pink Ranger a good time when you have the use of more than just one of your limbs."

In his gravely voice Sam provocatively said "I only need one hand" as his hand came to rest on her inner thigh.

Jules's flirtatious laugh filled the room as she placed her casted hand over his hand to halt his slow encroaching motion up her thigh. Then she lifted her head enough to kiss him one more time. This time allowing him to take control of the kiss; savoring his lips and the light caress of her thigh by his hand.

There was a quick knock on the door then it opened. Jules lurched to a seated position instead of draped over Sam and pushed his hand away from her thigh in the same motion. Crimson flooded her face as she saw Mrs. Braddock enter the room. She tried to scurry off the bed but Sam quickly snagged her arm and kept her on the bed.

Jules hissed under her breath "My god what is she gonna think of me?"

Mrs. Braddock stopped dead in her tracks and brought her hand to cover her mouth as she said "Oh." A slight blush colored Yvonne's cheeks.

Time ticked by for several moments. Jules's embarrassment at being discovered in Sam's room grew. Yvonne's understanding of what she walked in on grew.

Yvonne had heard the softly hissed words. It was taking her a moment to gather her thoughts wanting to say the right thing. She dropped her hand and strode over to the chair "Good morning you two. I hope you both slept well."

She sat in the chair and put her hand on Jules's knee. Catching Jules's eye she added "She will think the same thing of you as she did yesterday. You are a beautiful, strong, caring woman who deserves all the happiness the world has to offer."

Then looking at Sam Yvonne smiled "You take good care of her. If I find out you hurt her in any way you will answer to me and your aunts."

With that she rose, gave Sam a quick kiss on the forehead and headed for the door. She stopped at the doorway "Jules a courier brought some of your things very earlier this morning. I put them in your room just after they arrived. If you care to shower and change before lunch I'll be in the kitchen. Just come get me so I can help you with the cover for the cast."

"Sam, Mason and Zach showed up first this morning after their unit got back. The doctor said you could shower if wanted as long as the stitches were dried well as he will be here later today to check you over again. When Mason heard of the extent of your injuries he offered to help you into and out of the shower. Would you like one?"

A shower sounded like heaven to him and help from Mason would be less embarrassing than that nurse Cliff. Mason had helped him in that manner a time or two before in Kandahar after certain injuries. Bless his mom on so many levels. "Thanks mom. That would be great."

Just before she closed the door Yvonne instructed them "The door has a lock."

She softly closed the door and beamed as she headed to the kitchen. This morning when the courier arrived at six am she had knocked on Jules door and not getting a response had opened it and seen the bed empty. She had assumed Jules was just in the bathroom. She now knew otherwise and her heart soared for them.

Jules looked to Sam her eyes bright with concern "She was already in my room today. Oh god she already knew I didn't sleep there." The crimson color painted her cheeks again.

Sam started to chuckle. Jules punched him in the right arm "Not funny Braddock. What if she tells your dad?"

He stilled a moment then gave her a WOW smile "Then I guess I'm in for a lecture on how to behave so I don't lose the most wonderful woman in the world."

Jules just stared at him. His smile told her he wasn't fazed or worried that his mom caught them in the same room. Or that she might tell the General. Her emotions ran the gambit of fear of what the General would think to feeling like a teenager caught by the parents to worry the General might send her packing regardless of what Mrs. Braddock just said.

Sam watched the emotions play across her face. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it "Jules, sweetie. My mom knew how I felt about you since we broke up. There is nothing to worry about. I remember exactly what she told me that day."

"What did she say?" Jules asked uncertain.

Sam smiled and squeezed her hand "She said and I quote 'It will be okay. Maybe someday things will change. Maybe one or both of you will find a place that allows you to be together. Remember son, there is always hope. Hope Sammy. Never let go of hope. Wondrous things can happen if you keep hope. Hope brought my boy back to me. Never give up hope.'"

"You know what I did Jules?" Sam asked.

Jules shook her head no and Sam stated "I never gave up hope."

He saw the hitch in Jules breath and kissed her hand again. "Now go ask mom to help you with a cast cover so you can shower and put your comfy clothes on."

Then Sam teased "I'm liable to have another fantasy of the Pink Ranger if you stay in that shirt much longer."

Jules leaned down and kissed him again "Okay but this shirt is coming back with us to Toronto."


	9. Chief Alnwick & Three Fingers of Bourbon

**Chief** **Alnwick** **& Three Fingers of Bourbon**

* * *

 ** _Toronto Police Headquarters – Chief Alnwick's Office_**

Deputy Chief Shamus Barnes entered Chief Montgomery Alnwick's office and took a seat in front of the desk. "Monty we need to get a statement out. This is going on too long. Braddock's name is getting riddled with bullets as is the reputation of this department. It's even causing dissention in the ranks. You won't believe what crossed my desk this morning."

"Shamus I need evidence before I speak publicly. What do you have for me?" the Chief responded.

"A few things. Yesterday's meeting with Parker and the others was enlightening. We have the statements of General Braddock and Constable Scarlatti. We have video evidence that is quite compelling for the initial take down along with a statement from Dupont's own twin brother. All of which does squat for the assault charge and the charges that Braddock went off his rocker and used excessive force."

Blowing out a frustrated breath Barnes continued "I've been trying to access information that Parker suggested yesterday. Something about an incident in the 51st Division about twelve years ago. I have no idea what he was talking about. That is before my time. But it is sealed and the only one with authority to access it is the Chief, so that's you. What is it and what bearing would it have on this incident?"

Alnwick took in what Barnes had to say. He sat back at the mention of the 51st Division. So long ago he had forgotten about that. It was the reason he became Chief. The clearing out of the chain of command moved him up three levels years before he had expected. It put him in line for the position of Chief. He unexpectedly became Chief last year after Howard Carlyle retired after having a heart attack at only fifty-seven years old.

It was so long ago he barely recalled the details, not that he was ever privy to them in the first place. It was all hush hush. He thought hard trying to recall what it was about. The proverbial light bulb switched on. It was somehow related to the blue wall of silence. Why did Parker suggest that Barnes look into that? Did they have a problem with that again?

Parker was a fair man and a good judge of character. The media and Dupont's lawyer in particular had been accusing Braddock of hiding behind the blue wall. Alnwick looked at Barnes who was waiting patiently "Why did Parker suggest to look into that?"

Barnes answered "He said if we were worried about Braddock hiding behind the blue wall of silence we should look into it. He stated that we would be sadly surprised that this Police Department had severely let down Braddock again. Parker also indicated it might be possible for Braddock to seek legal action against the Department this time."

Knowing Parker he did not throw out statements like that without foundation. He better have a look at that file. Alnwick pressed his intercom "Rita."

"Yes Sir" his assistant's voice crackled over the intercom.

Alnwick requested "Please obtain the file …." He realized he didn't know the number and looked at Barnes questioningly.

Barnes supplied "Record number IA-51-48205874."

"Did you get that Rita?" Alnwick asked.

"Yes Sir. IA-51-48205874. Given that file number is very old it will be several minutes before I can get it for you. I have to go down to the records room. It is too old to be computerized. I'll go get it now" Rita responded.

"So while Rita gets the file why don't you show me the video and this letter you said you have from Dupont's twin brother." At that Barnes pulled out his laptop and played the video. Then handed all three statements to the Chief to review. When he finished reading the statements he leaned back mulling over the details. This was surely complex.

Barnes waited until the Chief was finished with the letters. "I have more to add. This is no easy issue. I spoke with a Detective Sally Jackson in Specialized Criminal Investigations Unit. She is investigating allegations that Dupont is a serial pedophile. She is working with an RCMP liaison as they have found a trail of unsolved assaults on children that mirror Dupont's locations over the past seventeen years."

"They have proof he hacked into a secure video feed in pediatrics at St. Simons. However, they are not ready to bring charges against him yet. They are still contacting and interviewing the victims of the unsolved cases to see if they can uncover evidence that points solidly to Dupont."

Alnwick stared at Barnes "Never thought being Chief I'd encounter something so complicated. How are Braddock, Callaghan and Scarlatti?"

"When I spoke to General Braddock's counsel, a Mr. Rudolph, he indicated that the constables were being well taken care of but did not give any details. I think it was a good call to allow the General to assume custody. Braddock surely does not need to be in Toronto and subject to the media blitz and the attitudes of those making judgments before facts."

Alnwick just nodded. His job was to enforce the laws not to judge. His life was based on gathering evidence and handing it off to the courts to decide the fate of those accused. He checked his watch wondering when Rita would get back. He was about to suggest they go grab a coffee when Barnes spoke again.

"I have one other thing to discuss with you. Normally it would be up to just her supervisor but given the complexity of this case I needed to bring this to your attention" Barnes stated.

The Deputy Chief noted the look of 'what now' on the Chief's face as he continued "As I said this is a hot issue and is causing some dissention in the ranks. Last evening there was a minor incident at the Goose. Seems Brisa Horne was selected to be one of the temporary replacements on Parker's team. Apparently she has very definite opinions on Braddock which are counter to Team One's opinions. She voiced them and Parker dismissed her from the team."

The Chief nodded "I understand that. A team has to work together. Trust one another. I could see that it would be difficult to do that with someone who believes opposite of you on such a sensitive topic. So what's the problem?"

Barnes grimaced "Seems Horne has filed a complaint against Parker claiming unequal treatment. Claims he is damaging her career because he summarily dismissed her from the premier SRU team because she holds an opinion counter to his. She further claims he embarrassed her and undermined her ability to do her job by dismissing her publicly."

"Jesus, can this get any worse?" Alnwick groaned out as he slapped his hand to his forehead. He rolled his head around his neck and said in a dismayed voice "Contact Internal Investigations and have them do the requisite inquiry to see if her allegations have any merit. Knowing Parker I'm sure he was within his rights to dismiss her but we cannot give the media anymore tidbits to chew on."

There was a knock on the door and Rita entered when told to come in. "Here's the file you requested Sir" as she handed off a sealed, very thick folder. "Can I get you two a cup of coffee?"

Alnwick thanked her and answered yes. Rita hurried out to get coffee. When she returned she saw a deep scowl on her boss's face. Whatever was in that file was not sitting well with him. She mentally checked off, lunch would need to be bland and she would need to pick up more antacid for him.

That ulcer of his was getting a workout ever since the Chief had received that initial report that Braddock and Scarlatti were blown up at the fishery. Thank god that was not what truly happened even though what had really happened was bad enough. And all that was swirling now was not helping in any way.

The Chief of Police finished a quick review of the file and closed it. Jesus. He looked to his friend and Deputy Chief and used years experience as a officer to school his emotions before speaking "You know when I asked if this could get any worse."

Barnes nodded with a look of discomfort "Yeah?"

"Worse doesn't begin to describe it. I'll be calling General Braddock in just a moment. I need to arrange a meeting with Constable Braddock soon. I will need you, Holleran and Caldwell to accompany me. Also arrange for either Detective Arbor or Detective Fulco from Internal Investigations and someone from the Legal department to join us. We will meet in Ottawa due to Braddock's injuries."

"Monty, can you give me a clue why?" Barnes asked.

"Parker has a point about Braddock being able to take legal action. But that is not my real concern. My concern is the welfare of Constable Braddock. This department has screwed Braddock royally for a second time. We need to do whatever we can to publicly right this horrendous wrong. But I need to speak with Braddock first. I feel there are unknowns here that are contributing factors to what occurred with Dupont."

Barnes stood "Yes Sir. Just let me know when they are able to meet and I'll coordinate the necessary personnel."

Just before Barnes left Alnwick added "Shamus, I want to thank you for your due diligence in this case. Your attention to the details and gathering evidence will help us right this wrong."

At the door Barnes responded "That thanks goes to Parker and his team. I'll pass it along."

* * *

 ** _General Braddock's Home – General's Study_**

Spike, Jules, and Sam were seated in the General's study after lunch waiting for his dad to join them. Sam felt a bit more normal having had a shower and shave and having lunch with the others.

But during lunch he sensed an air of turmoil just below the surface every time he had looked at Zach, Mason and his dad. It made him wonder what was up but then he was no longer in Special Forces. It probably had something to do with something none of them could discuss around the others.

After his shower Mason had been gentle with his shoulder but made him move it. It sucked big time and he swallowed his yelps of pain but he knew it was necessary. It was several days since it had been immobilized and if he did not begin to move it his shoulder might freeze. There was nothing worse than trying to unfreeze his shoulder, well actually there was, but not too many things. Once was more than enough so he grunted through the manipulations.

His right hand was now absently massaging his left shoulder as he sat in a proper wheelchair. Apparently the Ice Queen was going to be in charge of their therapy and had sent over some items this morning for their use. He knew Blaze was probably responsible for Lizzy being tapped as his physical therapist. Especially since she was doing it after hours and would be doing it here. Sarcastically he thought he was gonna send Blaze the bill for all the ice he was bound to go through.

But in reality he was glad. Lizzy was the best and with her help all three of them would be in shape in no time at all. He had been glad to see the shower stool because he had assumed he would have to sit on the floor of the shower when Mason helped him earlier.

Sam looked at Spike and saw him squeezing and releasing the neon green therapy putty in his right hand. Lizzy had sent that too along with the wheelchair and other things. His shoulder was aching right now and he was ready to take some pain meds and take a nap. But after lunch was finished the General said he needed to speak to the three of them in his study.

General Braddock knew he had to talk to Samuel for two reasons but he was not looking forward to it. First was a call from the Chief of Police. He requested a meeting with Samuel to discuss the assault charge. That was scheduled for after his brothers and nephews would arrive. He felt a strong show of familial support for Samuel would be essential in getting the charges dropped.

The second reason was that Mason had pulled him off to the side before lunch. Mason informed him that Samuel did not recall how he hurt his shoulder. Mason did not tell Samuel anything, he just feigned no knowledge even though Mason was fully aware having spoken with Zachary.

The General realized that if Samuel didn't remember how it occurred then he didn't know about being taken into custody and the cuffs. And he certainly didn't have any clue his name was being dragged through the mud since they have not watched anything other than movies the past few days.

He walked in and over to the shelf that housed his bourbon and several glasses. He poured two fingers for himself and for Samuel. From Yvonne he knew Samuel had not had any pain meds for hours so two fingers of bourbon should be okay. His son was gonna need it. He picked them both up and walked towards Samuel.

Sam looked at his dad as he approached. He was taken aback when the General held out the glass of bourbon to him and said "Take it. You're going need it need it son."

The General pulled over a chair and sat right in front of Samuel. He looked at his son directly "I'm going to tell you some things you are not going to like. But before I begin I need you to know that I am proud of you and stand behind your actions one hundred and fifty percent. The family will stand behind your actions as well and we will not stop until it is set to rights. Do you understand me son?"

Spike and Jules took seats nearby. Sam glanced at them. By the looks on their faces they knew what his dad was about to tell him and he was not going to like it as he dad said. But he also saw determination and support in their expressions too. He didn't normally drink the hard stuff and rarely before dinner but he drank half of it in one swallow. It burned going down.

"Okay tell me straight out, no beating around the bush Sir" Sam said.

General Braddock downed half of his bourbon too then placed his glass on the table beside them. "Okay straight out then. Samuel, you are under arrest for Indictable* Assault of Dupont. You have been officially remanded in my custody."

"You broke Dupont's jaw in four places and it had to be wired shut. In addition, you broke his nose, fractured his left orbital socket and gave him a concussion. As soon as you were out of surgery four officers enter the recovery room. They placed your wrists and ankles in restraints."

Sam looked at his wrists; the bruising. He looked back as he dad continued "You awoke from anesthesia believing you were restrained by the terrorist cell that tortured you. You tried to get away. You fought so hard to get out of the restraints that you dislocated your shoulder. Heather quickly sedated you."

The General closed his eyes for a brief second collecting himself "I was so enraged at how callously you had been treated I removed you from the hospital without authorization. With the help of your team and Dr. Mallard I snuck you out of the hospital and into the Army helicopter. Once here Parker contacted Holleran to let them know where I took you and to begin the process of putting you legally under my custody. We also started gathering evidence to clear you."

Taking a breath he watched the mixed emotions displayed in Samuel's eyes. "You were arrested so quickly because a Captain Brunello was convinced by a scumbag lawyer to arrest you. The lawyer was in physical therapy that day and quickly took Dupont on as a client. Since then he has been doing everything in his power to smear your name and reputation and develop sympathy for Dupont. The story has gone beyond local news. It is now a national debate."

Sam was confused as to why an assault charge would become a national news story and it showed on his face. Just a little more to tell William thought. It hurt to see the look on his son's face right now but the next would hurt worse.

"Son the anti-police portion of the media has tried and convicted you and held you up as just another example of the abuses of the police. They are screaming that if you are not sent to prison it is another instance of a police officer hiding behind the blue wall of silence. They are claiming that Spike and I are lying to protect you."

Sam stiffened and drew in a rapid breath. Not that again.

The General heard the gasp as he continued "They are digging into and reporting every little detail of your past to support their claims. There have been many speculations as to why you busted Dupont's face including that you suffer from PTSD. At every turn they are calling into question your mental stability."

Sam knocked back the remaining bourbon. The fire he felt as it went down should have been met by a fire in his gut but Sam just felt numb. Almost detached Sam asked "Has the brass made any statement?" He wanted to ask 'did they defend me this time?' but was afraid to voice that not knowing if he could handle the answer.

"No."

Thrown to the wolves again Sam thought. Life was looking so good just a few hours ago. He should know better by now that the rug would always be pulled out from under him when things were pointing towards good in his life. He looked at his father's half empty glass of bourbon on the table. He set his empty glass down.

Dully Sam asked "Any idea why they have not?"

His dad answered "They have been waiting for evidence. Captain Brunello that listened to the lawyer should be keel-hauled for jumping the gun. As should who ever leaked your name to the press."

Evidence. Sam mused evidence would just prove he lost control and beat the shit out of Dupont. He was guilty. Nothing anyone said would change that. He was going to prison for his actions. He reached for his father's glass and downed the remainder of the contents.

How could he have been so stupid to lose control? His grip on the glass tightened. Dupont was winning. Everything he wanted in life was dying. It hurt to die but still be breathing.

A thought occurred to him. Just how much of his past had they dug up? He wasn't sure he could live with the humiliation of Dupont's abuse being blasted across the air-waves and being the subject of every Tom, Dick and Harry's watercooler gossip. His grip on the glass tightened even more.

Sam squeezed his eyes shut as his hand squeezed too dreading the answer to his question "Has the full story of what that asshole did to me come out?"

The glass shattered in his hand. Jules yelped in shock and started towards Sam at the same time Spike did. Sam's eyes opened and looked at his hand as his dad gently eased the broken base of the glass from his hand. Crap.

The General clasped his hand to prevent the blood from dripping onto the floor. Spike was sent to get a towel from the bathroom for the same purpose. Jules ran to get Yvonne and the first aid kit. Twenty minutes later both he and the broken glass were cleaned up. Luckily he only had a few shallow cuts on his fingers and one on his palm. None were deep enough to warrant stitches only enough to sting and be annoying.

Sam apologized for the umpteenth time "Sorry about the glass."

Yvonne patted his head "Sam I'm not worried about the glass. I'm just glad it didn't slice deep." She looked at her husband and his expression indicated they were not quite done. So she said "When you are finished up here I think it will be time to rest Sammy."

Sam nodded and Yvonne left the room. Jules and Spike resumed their seats. Sam looked at his dad for the answer to his question.

William placed a hand on Samuel's knee and patted "No son. None of that has been discovered. It is up to you to decide if that will come out as part of your defense. As far as the media is concerned Gaston Dupont the head of hospital security was trying to break up a fight and was attacked by you unprovoked."

Sam let that sink in. Then he thought the media have not even discovered his real name.

Standing and moving the chair back to its normal place General Braddock concluded "That's about it. Your uncles and cousins will be here tomorrow. I've made arrangements for Kingsley Randolph and Dale Gibbson to represent you. They have been in contact with Detective Jackson. We will meet with Randolph and Gibbson after we bring the family up to speed on the issues."

"I've also had a call from Chief Alnwick. He wants to meet with you. I told him I would let him know when you were ready to meet. Depending on what Gibbson and Randolph advise it may be in a day or so. Do you have any questions Samuel?"

The whole subject was just too heavy but he couldn't do anything about it right now. He saw Spike's anxious face. Sam wasn't sure what Spike felt guilty about but it was clear to him that Spike was feeling it. He needed to lighten the mood for his friend. But how? Then he recalled something his dad said.

With incredulity Sam looked at his dad and asked "Did you really take me from the hospital without authorization? I was under arrest. You do know that's like breaking someone outta jail?"

The General smiled "Yes."

"You know that's breaking the law" Sam stated.

William squatted down to eye level with Samuel "No one hurts my son if it is within my power to prevent it. Trust me son. This will all be resolved. Dupont will not win."

* * *

 ** _AN:_** _Hope you all are enjoying the story - would love to know if you are. May be slower postings next few days as I prepare for Christmas._

 _*_ Indictable Assault in Canada is equivalent to Felony Assault in the U.S.


	10. Hounded, Scott's Mullings & Four to One

**Hounded, Scott's Mullings & Four to One**

* * *

 _ **SRU HQ – Gun Range**_

Ed and Wordy had been looking for Greg for about a half hour when Ed suggested the gun range. As they headed over they discussed the day's training. Both were satisfied with how Jude, Chad and now Kaleb were meshing. There were lots of rough edges to file off but the three would be fine SRU officers given some polishing.

Greg had trained with them all day but he had been distracted after speaking with Holleran early afternoon. After that he left the training mostly to the two of them. Neither quite understood his distraction. Perhaps he had another issue with Dean to sort out. Maybe it was something with Sam, Jules or Spike. They had wondered all afternoon and it was time to find out.

They entered the range and saw it was empty except for Greg who was at the last stall. They donned ear protection and strode over behind him. They watched as he emptied his clip into the target; all solid head shots. They noticed he was mumbling something with each discharge of his weapon but could not hear it.

Wordy saw that Greg did not notice them as he went to swap clips so spoke loudly to be heard over the ear protection "Sarge."

Greg startled slightly and turned his head. When did they get here? He put the safety on, set his gun down and removed the ear muffs and waited.

Ed removed his ear protection too and spoke "Why are you here?"

"Target practice" Greg said noncommittally.

"Why?" Wordy asked setting down the ear muffs on the bench behind him.

Greg shrugged. He really wasn't in a mind to talk at the moment.

Ed cocked his head and raised an eyebrow "Greg what's going on? You've been distracted all afternoon. That's not like you."

Rubbing his forehead Greg squinted his eyes against the constant headache he had today. He really did not want to add any more worries to his friends' plates. They had enough to deal with; their families, Sam, Jules, Spike, and the rookies.

Not to mention the media that was hounding them for interviews or comments. Reporters from across the country were now camped out outside SRU HQ. They nagged everyone that came or went but especially targeting the three of them.

For the past three days they all had constant phone calls to their homes. Mostly it was reporters looking for an angle. However some were people that just wanted to vent against Sam or them by association. It had gotten so bad that Sophie and Shel simply turned off the ringers. Luckily their cell phone numbers had not been compromised so they were not barraged with calls on those.

It was all too much. He was damned glad Sam, Spike and Jules were well away from this chaos. Their recovery would surely be hampered by all this. They all needed quiet and peace to deal with the emotional fallout of Sam and Spike's abduction, Jules attack and assault charge levied against Sam.

But here no one was getting that.

Dean and Clark were even dealing with kids at the high school that had opinions on what a bad person Sam was. They had supporters too but the ones against Sam were spiteful and very vocal. Dean for the most part tried to talk rationally to them and help them see they were unfairly judging someone before facts were known. If he couldn't do that he walked away.

Clark could not stand the garbage a few of his peers were saying and defended Sam aggressively. Sadly Clark had gotten into a couple of yelling matches and one physical fight over it. He was supporting a black eye and had been suspended from school for a week. The other three boys were also supporting bruises and were suspended for two weeks seeing as though they started the physical part and Clark defended himself.

Luckily Wordy's little girls were too young to experience any repercussions from this at school. But Shel was taking heat from a few mothers at the dance school the girls attended. From Wordy's description she had been in tears as she related the hurtful things the mothers had said about Sam while she waited during the girls' dance lesson.

Wordy said Shel sobbed angrily when she told him how they had maliciously said she should be worried about her husband being on the same team. When she had defended Sam and told them she trusted him completely and that he routinely babysat the girls one of the mothers said she was an unfit mother. The mother told Shel that she should call child protective services on her since it was clear Shel put her children in jeopardy by allowing someone that deranged access to her children.

Ed and Wordy waited in silence for Greg to speak. When it looked like he was not going to say anything Wordy added "We are all in this together. Talk to us. What did Holleran say? Was it about the brass making a decision on a statement?"

Greg looked at both of them. Hell they would know soon enough. He blew out a breath and took a seat on the bench.

He clenched his jaw and made a growling noise but then said "This is getting so far out of hand."

Ed snorted as he sat down too "Ya think?"

Wordy sat on the opposite side of Greg "So what is it?"

Leaning back against the wall Greg answered "Spoke to Holleran about a couple of things. First is that Holleran, Chief Alnwick, Deputy Chief Barnes, Head of SIU Caldwell, Detective Fulco of Intel Investigations and a legal rep will be heading to Ottawa to speak with Sam. The Chief wants to talk with Sam before he makes any public statement."

"Is that a good or a bad thing?" Ed asked.

"No idea. Holleran was given no details. Only to make himself available once the General indicates Sam is up to the meeting. It should be in the next day or so" Greg answered.

"I can't believe they haven't already made a statement. What more do they need? They have the video, the statements from the General, Spike, Gaston and even the security guard that called 911" Wordy snapped out angry at the delay in vindicating Sam.

"I know it's Sam place to decide but if they knew about what that sick son of a bitch did to Sam as a boy they would be praising Sam's actions not waiting. Why hasn't Dupont been charged with attempted murder of a police officer or at least assault of an officer with a weapon? Christ he had a gun and fired twice. Hit Sam twice. What the hell is a security guard doing with a weapon at a hospital? There should be charges on that account too" Ed growled.

Greg shook his head. All things he wondered about himself. "I don't know why they are dragging their feet."

Wordy looked at him "You said you spoke about a couple of things. What was the other?"

Briskly Greg rubbed his face. Both Ed and Wordy saw the nervous habit. They waited as it looked like Greg was collecting his thoughts. It was a look they knew well.

"Brisa Horne filed a complaint against me for unequal treatment" Greg informed them.

"WHAT!" both Ed and Wordy yelled astounded.

Greg laughed sardonically "Yeah. They opened an official inquiry with Internal Investigations. She claims I damaged her career by kicking her off the team at the Goose."

"Whiny little bitch" growled Ed.

"It's baseless" Wordy added incensed at the trumped up complaint.

Standing and striding over to the stall again Greg said "It is but Holleran said they had to go by the book because of everything going on. He expects them to find it was a justified dismissal. But it's just one more thing hounding us. Expect to be called in for an I.I. interview tomorrow or the next day."

"Damn straight it was justified" Ed firmly stated.

They watched as Greg loaded the new clip and donned his ear muffs. Both put theirs back on. Greg unloaded the second clip into the target. Wordy again saw him mumbling something each time he shot. Ed and Wordy watched as Greg shot three more full clips.

After Greg had holstered his weapon and cleaned up the shooting stall the three of them headed to the locker room.

On the way Wordy asked "So what were you mumbling as you shot in there?"

Greg looked at him not realizing that Wordy had seen that. He smirked slightly but said "Nothing."

"Ah Greg don't lie to us" Ed chided.

"Nothing I want to admit" Greg said quietly.

Wordy stopped and pulled Greg to a halt "Now we gotta know."

"Spill it Greg" Ed demanded.

Greg looked at them "I alternated between three things. Damn glad you're dead Logan otherwise this bullet would have your name on it for hurting Jules. If Sam were my son you'd be dead already Dupont. Wish I'd been the one to Scorpio you Vlad."

Shocked by the violence of thoughts uttered by Greg Ed mentally added Greg's name to list of people that might seek revenge upon Dupont if the system didn't work for Sam.

Then Ed laughed "Damned glad we can't be convicted of murder for thoughts."

Wordy patted Greg's back "Did it help to release the anger?"

"Actually it did" Greg admitted. And it had. Shooting a target released the pent up rage that had been building for weeks. Feeling more centered and in control he added "Got my head back on straight."

Ed realized that Greg must be feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders right now and could use some support and looking after. He squeezed Greg's shoulder "How about you and Dean come over for dinner tonight."

Greg hesitated then realized that Ed must feel the weight of the team on his shoulders and could use some support. He nodded "Sure. That would be good."

Ed turned to Wordy "Call Shel, you and girls should come too."

Wordy thought a moment "I'm sure Shel would like that after the altercation with the dance moms."

All three pulled out their phones and contacted their loved ones and informed them of tonight's plans. Tonight this half of Team One would offer friendship, care and strength to one another bolstering them to be able to get through the grueling hounding.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Family Room**_

It was near eleven pm and Scott Braddock sat off in one corner with Mason and Zach silently mulling over the situation as he nursed a beer. His CO had let him leaved earlier than expected and he had arrived just before dinner. He had walked into an atmosphere that was heavy.

He learned from Zach that after speaking with his dad, Sam had gone to his room and refused to join them for dinner. Scott could understand that. It was a lot for Sam to take in that he was being charged with aggravated assault which carries a maximum prison sentence of fourteen years.

On top of that Sam was being flayed open by the press. They all knew Sam would need some time alone to process everything he heard after lunch. So no one ventured into Sam's room except the nurse and that was just to administer pain meds.

Scott noted that his uncle and aunt were subdued tonight. Although Aunt Yvonne did her best to keep dinner upbeat and light he could see she was tired. He could see uncle Will fussing over her too and overheard when he insisted she go to bed early tonight.

She had complied which worried him a bit wondering if her CFS was flaring up again. This had to be emotionally taxing on his aunt. He decided to organize the cousins tomorrow to ensure they were aware. He would make sure Aunt Yvonne was in the supervisory role but that they did all the work.

He glanced over at Jules. That was not the woman he knew. The fire that normally radiated from her was banked. She was nervous and shied away from all the guys except Spike. In fact she had positioned herself close to him all night. Jules seemed especially nervous when Mason came into the room.

The answer for the behavior again came from Zach. A little bit ago he quietly told him that Jules had been attacked and nearly raped in her home. Scott noticed that Mason did his best to give her a wide berth because Zach had found out from Spike that the man who attacked her was very large. Jules had called him the tree man when she had bumped into him in the market.

After learning these details and seeing his aunt he had called Laura. He smiled as he thought of his caring wife. She assured him that Grandma Ann, his mom, had been begging her for a while to have Jerrell and Anna all to herself. Laura would arrive tomorrow morning after dropping the kids off at his parent's home. Both Aunt Yvonne and Jules could use her help and company and he was glad she was able to arrange to come.

Scott wished Natalie could be here to help her mom too but he understood why she wasn't. She needed to be in Paris. His cousin had been lost so long and without direction. At first it was hard to see but eventually he realized that Sara's death had impacted her life too.

It was good to see she had finally found something she was passionate about. He could see her starting to change from the irresponsible self-centered party girl into a true Braddock woman. She just needed a bit more time to mature and get her feet under her.

He took a swig of his beer as his eyes landed on Spike. Christ this whole situation was FUBAR. Spike was not himself either. The man was restrained, serious and clearly something was eating at him. The only time he saw the man smile tonight was when he offered them all some Ma's Love for dessert. His mother sure made fantastic zeppole.

However after dinner Spike spent the rest of the night on his laptop. He barely conversed with anyone so no one knew what he was doing on the computer.

He wondered what was going on in Spike's mind. Sam would be the best to talk to about it but Sam was in no condition to do that right now. Tomorrow he would talk to the cousins determine if any of them could help Spike.

Kyle had connected with Spike pretty well when Sam was in the coma years ago. Maybe he could help. They were alike in many ways. Both were extremely positive men with a sense of humor that never quit. They shared a love of technology too. Kyle had found his niche with in the Navy when he switched from Naval Communicator to become an Intelligence Operator. Kinda felt good his brother was following his path in the Navy.

Then there was Adam. Those two were polar opposites. Where Spike was open and joking all the time Adam was closed off and gruff most of the time. But Adam was insightful and had unique perspectives on things. The way he cheered Sam up by suggesting mountain biking during STF Recovery had been genius. Maybe he might see something to help Spike.

He sighed and hefted himself out of the chair. Tomorrow was gonna be long so he should get some sleep. Scott was saying good night to Zach and Mason when he noticed Jules get up and head out. She must be heading to bed too.

Scott stopped to toss his half empty beer bottle in the trash then headed for the stairs. He halted in the hall seeing Jules enter Sam's room. A few seconds later Cliff headed out and up the stairs. Scott headed for Sam's room to say goodnight.

As his hand was about to touch the doorknob he heard Sam's voice say "Jules lock the door please. We don't want a repeat of this morning."

He heard Jules giggle and light footsteps approach the door then the soft click of the door locking then Jules saying "No soldier we wouldn't want that. Being caught once in your bed by your mom is enough for me."

Scott heard Sam chuckle lightly. He dropped his hand and a huge grin splayed across his face. Well damn. Hot damn. It's about friggin time. He couldn't wait to tell Laura about this development. She would be so pleased. He headed for the stairs and his bed not wanting to bother them.

* * *

 _ **3 Wing/Canadian Forces Base Bagotville, Quebec – The Brig**_

Master Warrant Officer Adam Braddock paced his cell in the brig as he glared at the occupants in the cell across from him. Four against one. Not fair odds, for them, he mused.

He continued to pace trying to control his pent up rage. The sheer stupidity of some people infuriated him. Some people just didn't know when to stop running their mouths. He slammed one fist into his palm. He sure knew how to shut them the hell up though. He was glad they had given him the cause to do it.

Adam stopped pacing and looked at the four again. None of them would dare look him in the eyes now. Each of them was nursing sore jaws, arms and ribs. For his part he his knuckles were a bit reddened and he would have a wonderful bruise to the jaw.

The adrenaline rush was finally leaving his system and he sat on the bunk. The only thing he regretted about this whole affair was that he was in the brig and was not sure he would make it in time to the family meeting. He wanted to be there to support Sam.

He sighed and laid back on the bunk and put his hands under his head as he stared at the ceiling. Assault. Could what he just did be considered assault? No he was defending himself. His commanding officer Chief Warrant Officer Seaton had witnessed the whole thing as was talking to the MPs on his behalf right now.

Thing one, two, three and four in the other cell threw the first punches. It wasn't his fault only one of them landed it. He had just finished it. He rubbed his sore jaw. It was a small price to pay to defend his cousin's honor.

"Braddock" an MP called.

Still looking at the ceiling Adam responded "Yeah?"

"You have a visitor" he said.

Adam sat up on the bunk. Seeing who it was he scrambled to his feet and came to attention and saluted "Colonel Sir."

"At ease Braddock" the Colonel stated as he returned the salute.

Adam assumed parade rest and waited for the dressing down to begin.

The Colonel looked him over and then turned and visually inspected the four in the other cell who had also come to attention but had not gone to parade rest because they had not yet been ordered to do so. He had to suppress a smile, four to one, too bad the four were outnumbered by the one.

He ordered them "At ease." The four went to parade rest.

Turning back to Adam and taking two steps towards the cell the Colonel asked "Care to explain what happened Master Warrant Officer Braddock?"

"Sir. No excuses Sir" Adam answered.

"I didn't ask for excuses. I asked if you cared to explain happened" the Colonel stated.

Adam stared at the blue eyes staring at him. He saw the glint of pride reflected in them. Adam cleared his throat "Sir. I was in the bar with my CO Chief Warrant Officer Seaton having a beer after duty. At the next table Sir were those four. I overheard them speaking ill of my cousin. I tried to ignore it. It was difficult to do because of the foul things they were saying about him. Things I know to be false."

"I could no longer sit there and listen. I rose to leave. That's when thing one, I mean Sergeant Mast, placed a hand on my arm stopping me. Sergeant Mast then asked me if I enjoyed being related to nut job that beat people to death unprovoked. I remained silent and shrugged off his grip and tried to leave again."

"The four quickly followed me outside and surrounded me. They continued to disparage my cousin and myself. I tried to push passed thing two, I mean Corporal Mumford. That is when they all began to throw punches. I responded in self-defense Sir."

"The MPs were called. When they arrived all four were on the ground and I stood waiting with my CO. The MPs brought all five of us in until the situation could be sorted out Sir" Adam concluded.

The Colonel turn to the other cell "Sergeant Mast, does Master Warrant Officer Braddock's accounting of the events match your accounting of them?"

Sergeant Mast shifted uncomfortable. He already knew he could not lie. He had been in a previous bar fight at that location and knew they had video cameras inside and outside that would have captured the entire altercation. He answered "Yes Sir."

Turning to the MP the Colonel ordered "Release Master Warrant Officer Braddock."

The MP inserted the key in the door and slid it open then stepped back. Adam stepped out.

The Colonel clapped him on the back several times "Let's get out of here son. We have a plane to catch in two hours. Sam needs all our support now we cannot be late. Did you pack your dress uniform?"

Adam said "Thanks dad and yes I did Sir."

As they walked out the four in the cell overheard Colonel Ryan Braddock say "Damn proud of the way you handled yourself son. Four at one time. They never knew they were outnumbered did they."

"No Sir they did not" Adam laughed.


	11. In All Black, Kyle's Help & Spike's Idea

**In All Black, Kyle's Help & Spike's Idea**

* * *

 _ **Hospital – Dupont's Room**_

It was dark; almost pitch black in his room when he awoke. He saw a slight movement almost shadowlike in the far corner of his room. Dupont reached for his call button. It wasn't where it was before. His hand searched for it in the dark as he kept his eyes focused at the corner.

His heart was beating rapidly. There was something exceedingly menacing about the figure in the corner although he could see no details. It almost felt like ghost. His hand still could not find the button. His mouth was wired shut. He could not yell for help.

A low rough voice dripping with venom near his head asked "Are you looking for this?" The call button was shown to him just out of his reach.

He jumped in fear then froze. The figure in the corner had not moved and he had not known the other person was in his room so close to him.

The figure in the corner spoke next in an eerie wraithlike whisper "You know what crimes you committed. You should confess now. You will never be safe. If you should by chance not go to prison for your crimes your life will be a living hell. You will beg for death. You will never know if today is the day you die."

Dupont pissed his pants in fear. The figure beside him injected something into his IV line. Dupont slipped into a sedated sleep staring at the ghostlike shadow in the corner of his room.

Two men dressed in all black slipped unnoticed out of the room and out of the hospital avoiding all cameras.

* * *

 _ **Coffee Shop Near Hospital**_

Two men dressed in all black slid into a booth and ordered coffee. One pulled out a phone and made a call. It was answered on the third ring.

 _["Bon matin."  
(Good morning) the man answered in French.]_

"Message délivré. Alors il a fait pipi peur son pantalon."  
(Message delivered. So scared he peed his pants) the man in black stated.

 _["Bien. Bien mon ami. Avez-vous vu?"  
(Good. Good my friend. Were you seen?) he asked.]_

"Non, nous sommes payés pour ne pas être vu; ne jamais entendue."  
(No we are paid not to be seen; only ever heard) he stated confidently.

 _["Oui bien. Je serai en contact si vos services sont de nouveau nécessaires. Je me suis arrangé pour le paiement à être livrées en négociée."  
(Yes, good. I will be in touch if your services are needed again. I have arranged for payment to be delivered as negotiated.) Dominique Savoy stated. _

_These men came highly recommended by his source. They only ever took jobs where evidence clearly showed the person was guilty of crimes. They covertly delivered messages that often got the perps to confess their crimes. They refused to do anything beyond delivering messages. If more than that was needed here Dom knew he would take care of it personally._

 _The services of these two were not cheap by any means. But it was a price he was willing to pay even though his friend would never know. He did not think William would approve of this tactic. He would want to pursue a purely legal recourse. But Dom had no qualms doing this as a means to possibly speed things along._

 _In fact, this was a mild, restrained response to all the crap he heard being said about Sam. Dom would have no qualms killing that bastard Dupont right now. But if he did so, someone may try to pin the killing on William's son and Dom would not be a party to that. Hopefully Dupont would confess his crimes quickly._

 _Putting fear into Dupont was only a small measure to try and help. But it was also a way to thank them both for the life of his daughters. Dom still felt acutely indebted to them for that. He would be all alone in life right now without their help. In fact, he would not be a grandpa today if not for Sam and William. He would not have his precious granddaughter Jeannette who was named after and reminded him very much of his beautiful wife._

 _So it was worth whatever he had to pay these two men.]_

"Pas cette fois. Ce que nous faisons pro bono. Appelez cela rembourser une dette à long retard pour avoir la possibilité de choisir la beauté de la vie."  
(Not this time. This one we do pro bono. Call it repaying a long overdue debt for being given the opportunity to choose the beauty of life) he responded.

 _["Es-tu sûr? Vous l'avez gagné."  
(Are you sure? You earned it) Dom asked.]_

"Oui, nous sommes sûrs. Merci pour l'opportunité. Peut-être que nous allons travailler avec vous dans le future."  
(Yes we are sure. Thank you for the opportunity. Perhaps we will work with you in the future.)

John York hung up the phone. He took a sip of his coffee remembering the expressive blue eyes that spoke volumes to him that day he was ready to give up on life. The young constable has shown him he had another option. That he could choose to put the hurt away and choose the beauty of life.

He saw his companion rub his throat. Sadly, all these years later his friend still had pain and trouble speaking above a whisper thanks to the damage that had been done to him by the terrorists. However, the otherworldly quality of his voice served them well now.

John asked "You spoke rather a lot of words loudly all at once in there. Are you okay?"

Marty Green nodded and then whispered softly in a way that did not aggravate his throat "Felt good to finally be able to do something to thank him in a small way for saving our lives that day in the bank even though Sam will never know."

John York smiled "Yes it does Marty. Yes it does."

* * *

 _ **Canadian Atlantic Fleet Headquarters, Halifax, Nova Scotia – Kyle's Quarters**_

Kyle was jogging quickly to his quarters. His shift should have been over five hours ago but they had a situation they had to resolve before he could leave. He checked his watch. Crap it was 0330 and he had to catch the 0400 flight to Ottawa. He mentally created a list of what he could throw into his bag in the ten minutes he had before he had to literally run to catch the flight.

Dress uniform. Don't forget the dress uniform his father had called early today and told him. Damn, properly packing that would take him five of his ten minutes. He did not want to crease it. He had no idea why he needed it but if dad said to bring it then bring it he would.

He knew he stunk after an eighteen hour shift and had hoped to be able to shower before leaving. But that was out of the question now. Kyle just did not have the time. His fellow passengers would give him crap for reeking but it could not be helped. Maybe just splash on some cologne. Nah that would just make it worse.

Kyle was annoyed and his normal jovial mood just wasn't anywhere to be found right now. He growled as he ran. When he got back he'd have to have a word with the CO about the newly assigned analyst Private Becket. The kid needed more supervision and retraining. Becket's stupid error took Kyle six hours to rectify.

Because of that error he would be lucky to make it to the plane in time. Kyle didn't want to miss it because Sam needed his support right now. The media was being relentless in their attacks on him.

As he approached his quarters he heard laughter coming from his room. Kyle slowed down as he approached. Who could be in his room and why would they be laughing? Instantly wary Kyle stopped just outside and listened.

"Man he's not gonna believe we did this" a soft voice laughed.

"Serves him right" another laughed.

A third said "Did you get everything? We have to be thorough. He deserves what we are doing. His cousin deserves it too."

The first voice stated "It's 0330. You better hurry. Hell man what you are doing? Give that to me, it's his dress uniform" she laughed.

The voices were familiar to Kyle. What the hell were they doing in his room? Kyle opened his door and stared dumbfounded at the two men and one woman who stared back at him. "Richie, Freddie, Cosmo what the hell are you doing in here?"

Cosmo looked up from carefully packing Kyle's dress uniform into the travel bag and she said "Packing for you Kyle. We know you have just a few minutes to make the flight."

Richie added "Thought you'd appreciate a little help. But Freddie is all thumbs trying to get your dress uniform packed properly so it doesn't crease. So Cosmo had to take over."

Standing with his arms crossed Freddie said "Well at least this was my idea. Brought you two boneheads along to do the actual work. We're almost done here and I got a Jeep waitin outside to run you over."

Kyle walked close to Freddie on his way to the closet for a change of clothes. Freddie wrinkled his nose "You reek dude. Since we are almost done packing you got time to grab a quick shower."

Zipping the travel bag Cosmo declared "Make it fast thought. We don't want you to miss the flight. Your cousin Sam needs you now. That's some nasty stuff they are saying about him. How the heck do the media get away with slandering someone like that?"

"What I'd like to know is why the Police Department has been so silent and not said a word to defend him" Richie griped.

Heading for the shower Kyle said "Two of the things I intend to find out. My fellow passengers and I thank you immensely. Be out in five. Can you make sure you grab dress shoes?" There were teasing gripes about being bossy and demanding thrown at Kyle. He laughed as he shut the bathroom door.

Ten minutes later showered and refreshed Kyle headed out of his quarters with his buddies. They hopped into the Jeep and arrived with five minutes to spare. Kyle got out and slung his bags over his shoulder. He stopped a moment and looked at his friends. True friends. "Thanks. I really appreciate your help."

Cosmo grinned and gave Kyle a hug "Nothing you wouldn't have done for anyone of us. Get some rest on the flight." Kyle gave her a huge smile and Cosmo's heart flipped a few times. She tamped down on the feeling and repeated to herself 'we're just friends, just friends'.

Richie handed him a small brown bag "I know ya didn't get dinner dealing with Becket's screw up and likely aint getting breakfast. Got ya a few snacks" then he slapped his back.

From the driver's seat Freddie grinned at him "See ya later dude. Go kick some ass. If you need anything just call."

"Wilco" Kyle said as he turned and jogged to the transport plane waiting on the tarmac.

Watching Kyle go Cosmo said to the others "Wonder why he needed his dress uniform?" She then imagined Kyle decked out in his dress uniform and had to cover a sigh by turning it into a cough.

Laughing Freddie thought Cosmo was not fooling him. She was sweet on Kyle. He looked directly at Cosmo and teased "No idea but it's gotta be quite a sight to see all of the Braddocks together decked out in dress uniforms. Sure to make all the ladies swoon."

Cosmo frowned at Freddie then bit her bottom lip to stop the comment that was on the tip of her tongue. It would just give him more reason to believe that she liked Kyle as more than a friend. Then repeated yet again to herself 'we're just friends, just friends, just friends'.

Hopping into the Jeep, completely oblivious to the undertone between Cosmo and Freddie, Richie commented "I'm thinking it would be one hell of a power position statement. With all the false shit they are spewing bout Kyle's cousin it might be a good strategy to help. Can you just imagine the buzz that would be generated with a press conference with General Badass and the rest of the Braddock's standing behind in support of Sam?"

As Freddie turned the ignition on and drove them back to their quarters Cosmo found her voice and responded normally "That'd be pretty impressive. Hope they clear his cousin's name soon."

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Spike's Room**_

Spike couldn't seem to fall asleep. The previous night he'd taken the sedative but it made him feel so groggy and weird all day. So he didn't want to take it again tonight because he hated not being clear headed. He turned over on the bed and looked at the clock in the shape of a dog, two am. He'd lain here for two and a half hours now and was no closer to sleep now as he was then.

He had gone to bed after Scott and Jules left. But sleep eluded him. That was not such a bad thing really to his thinking because with sleep came nightmares. More people were now in the house and he didn't want to bother them with his screaming. Actually it wasn't so much as bother them as to be embarrassed by it. He just didn't think he could face the other Braddock's and Mason if they heard him bawling like a baby.

Tonight he had an idea and had done something to try and assuage the guilt he felt for Jules being attacked. He hoped it might ease or stop those damned nightmares.

Jules was his little sister in his mind. He hated seeing the way she was behaving now. He wanted to see her fully confident again. Spike noticed that Jules hung close to him all night and moved closer every time Mason entered the room.

At least she felt secure or at least more secure close to him. That brought him only a small comfort though. If he could he wanted to kill that bastard for breaking Jules's confidence. Hell for breaking her arm and for breaking into her house too. It was that last thought that gave him the idea of how he might make both him and Jules feel a little better. If he could do that maybe the nightmares might stop.

So Spike spent all night researching the latest technology in home security. He had come up with a comprehensive security system that covered every conceivable entry point to Jules's home. The plan made his previous system look like child's play. It included encrypted remote access to internal and external CCTV cameras so Jules could check out any room in her house and the entire exterior on her smart phone.

It even included the Inferno sound bomb. He remembered that from a call they had years ago where the nanny Irina Kazkov was in with the robbers until they wanted to harm the kids. The Inferno would paralyze but not harm someone even the size of Logan. He'd found a way for it to be voice activated if Jules said a key phrase anywhere in her home. Something like that could give Jules the advantage if she were attacked again.

Once he had the plan he had researched the cost of the components to implement the system. It was something he wanted to do badly but I was way out of his price range. Hell it was even out of the price range if he got all the guys to chip in.

Spike needed to find a way to make it happen. Jules needed to be safe in her own home. He had a solution but couldn't implement it and it pissed him off. That's probably why he couldn't go to sleep he thought. He was so close to helping her yet so far away.

Resigned to the fact he was not getting to sleep yet Spike sat up frustrated. He needed to find distraction from his current thoughts. Spike remembered noticing there was a book shelf in the room, perhaps there was a book he could read to distract his thoughts.

Spike turned on the small lamp on the nightstand. It bathed the room in a soft glow. He hadn't paid much attention to the new room last night or this morning as groggy as he had been.

Now that he looked about a small smile appeared on his face. This was Sam's room. It was decorated for a young boy around seven to nine years old. Now the puppy clock made sense.

He slid off the bed and went to the shelf. It contained primer books in several languages. He picked up a plastic Pterodactyl toy as he perused the other shelves. There were many trophies and several medals for cross country. He looked at the largest one closely. It read First Place Toronto Divisional Cross Country. The date indicated Sam would have been in high school.

Spike put down the dino toy and picked up a framed certificate. It was for third place for Toronto Team Adventure in the Frostbite 45 Marathon in Yellowknife, NT. He had no clue what that was. It was dated before the cross country awards. He thought Sam grew up in the desert. Why did he have awards from a Toronto adventure club and from a Toronto High School? He was gonna ask Sam about that, maybe. He set the certificate back into its place.

There were several photos on one shelf. He recognized the one of Sara from the file folder that Inspector Davis had. There was one of Natalie as a little girl too. There were a couple of pictures of Sam as a little boy all bright smiles with his sisters. There was his police academy photo. Spike laughed, his photo was just as bad. Seemed it was a prerequisite to make those photos as ugly as possible.

He saw one of all the Braddock men that looked like it was taken down by the pond. All were in uniform except Zach and Kyle who were still teens. Sam was so young looking but was wearing the tan Special Forces cap. He picked it up and saw the note written on the backing board of the frame 'Samuel's SF graduation party'. That would have made him twenty-two according to what Winds had told them. Yeah that was young.

As he continued to look at photos two drew his attention. Both were of Sam as a teenage boy about the same age, maybe sixteen or seventeen he thought. It was the stark contrast between Sam in the pictures that attracted him to them.

The first was of Sam between his mom and the General. His parent's both were relaxed and wore nice smiles and Mrs. Braddock had her arm around Sam's shoulder. Sam had a mop of shaggy blonde hair with bangs that were haphazardly brushed off to the side so his eyes were visible. However, Sam was standing at rigid attention and his facial expression was devoid of any happiness he had seen in the really young photos of Sam and his sisters. Sam's face had a blank, lonely and lost quality to it.

In the second photo Sam still had the same mop of hair but the bangs covered one eyed. He was standing with three men. He recognized Wilson, Grand Dame Ridgewater's butler and security man. But there were two others he did not recognize.

Both were dressed in Army fatigues with their arms casually draped around Sam's shoulders. Wilson and the two men wore huge grins. What made this one so different was Sam's easy relaxed posture and the huge smile that graced his face. There was light in his eyes too that was not there in the other photo.

Clearly there was even more to Sam's past than he ever told them about. Someday he might ask Sam about it.

Spike yawned as he continued to roam around Sam's room. He sat at the desk and looked at the medium sized stuffed blue dog sitting near the desk lamp. It definitely had seen better days. Most of the fake fur was rubbed off and it looked like one of the ears and the tail had been sewn back on several times.

A smile came to Spike as he picked it up. Sam must have taken this thing everywhere for years. He had something similar his Ma kept for him. His was a teddy bear that Gina had given him. His bear was missing one eye and the fur was in much the same state. He recalled feeling safe clutching the teddy bear going to sleep when he was a little boy.

His mind was winding down as he absently petted the stuffed dog. He yawned again as he opened the top draw of the desk. His eyes landed on a long list. It pricked his curiosity and he pulled the piece of paper out.

Spike's eyes went wide with astonishment. He remembered Sam invited them to a private awards ceremony when he came home to recuperate from the wound inflicted by Merrill. Unfortunately, the team had to work and was not able to attend.

Now he wished they had attended. "Whoa" he whispered out loud as he examined the list carefully and saw a small note at the bottom that read 'Thank you for your service' followed by the signature of the Commander-in-Chief. As he read the list of honors he saw next to each one was a notation 'concealed' or 'recognized'.

Two thirds of them were noted as concealed. His mind whirled and landed on the only explanation that seemed reasonable to him. Concealed must mean that it was an award for actions taken during top secret missions and would never be recognized publicly.

Spike's eyes nearly bulged out of his head when he saw Sam had been awarded a concealed Victoria Cross. That is the highest award within the Canadian honors system. It took precedence over all other orders, decorations, and medals. As far as the public knew no Canadian had ever been awarded the Victoria Cross. Whoa!

He saw that Sam had also been awarded the Cross of Valour and it was denoted as recognized. That was the second highest honor available and the highest of the three Canadian Bravery Decorations. Damn. Sam never said a thing about any of the awards not even the recognized ones. When they told him they couldn't make it to the ceremony Sam told them not to worry that it was no big deal.

Damn, just what the hell did Sam do in the military? Knowing Sam, no one would ever know. He would take those secrets to his grave. If only the media knew the truth about the man they were maligning.

Their conversation in the Queen's suite started to take on new meaning. The one they had after Vlad had told them he they were going to play a little game and they had to decide who would answer questions and who would take the consequences. The conversation in that basement ran through his head.

 _He said to Sam "We're so screwed."_

 _Sam gave him a quirky smile and opened his eyes then said "Yeah, probably. You answer the questions, I'll take the consequences."_

 _He had been so concerned about Sam's current condition with the concussion he replied "No way Sam. You are in no shape to take any consequences. I'm sure we both have an idea of what those will be. Not too damned hard to figure that out."_

 _Spike could tell it took effort for Sam to speak as he responded "Spike, my head is too muddled to think clearly right now. I can handle the other."_

 _He had fiercely yelled "No! I'm not letting them beat the crap out of you if I answer wrong."_

 _Sam's soft reply worried him at the time "And you think I'm gonna let them do that to you? We both know that one of us needs to be thinking clearly to have half a chance to get out of this. I know my limits, I can handle it. 'sides you know more than me about lots of stuff."_

Those eight words ' _I know my limits, I can handle it'_ held more weight now. It didn't make it easier to remember what happened to Sam but he now understood Sam knew what he was doing.

Sadly, it was now apparent that was not Sam's first or even second rodeo. Sam knew what was likely to be coming and knew he was better prepared to take the physical abuse. As much as Spike would like to think different, he knew Sam was right.

Slowly the realization that it was truly Vlad's fault seeped in. The guilt he was harboring started to gradually drip away. If Sam had survived six years in the field and done things to warrant all those honors then surely Vlad could not kill him.

He grinned as he thought, after all it wasn't just some mere mortal Vlad was messing with, it was Samtastic!

Carefully he placed the list back in the drawer and closed it. Spike stood and headed back to the bed. He glanced at the puppy clock again and yawned. It felt like only minutes had passed as he had explored Sam's childhood room. Seeing it was three am he wondered where a full hour went.

He crawled into bed and curled up as he pulled the covers over himself totally exhausted. Spike's last thought before falling asleep was that he was going to talk to Sam about the security system for Jules. Between the two of them they could figure out what to do to keep her safe in the future and help her get her confidence back.

Spike was asleep within minutes completely unaware that he had taken the stuffed blue dog with him and was now holding it close to his chest as he slumbered peacefully.


	12. Crap Lesson, Sam's Room Chats & Stalled

**Crap Lesson, Sam's Room Chats & Stalled**

* * *

 _ **Hospital – Dupont's Room**_

Martin helped the man off with his urine soaked pants and underwear. The nurse had found him stinking about thirty minutes ago. Under his breath he was grumbling why they had not changed him themselves or got another orderly to do it instead of waiting for him to finish his previous job of cleaning the crap off of old man Chandler. It seemed all the shit jobs were falling to him lately.

He helped Dupont onto the bedpan and waited with his back turned until he finished his business. He supplied Dupont with toilet paper to wipe himself. Dupont appeared not able to reach given the position he had to stay in due to the injury to his knee so he had to wipe the man's ass for him. He removed the bedpan and dumped it. He returned and took a washcloth and wiped down his privates and legs to remove the urine.

Even though he was ticked off Martin still thought cool tattoo. It was low on the side of his left hip. It would never be seen unless he was undressed. He set about changing the sheets. It was always a bit of a chore when the patient was bed-ridden.

His mutinous thoughts returned because he could not even converse with this patient with his mouth wired shut. Not that he wanted to though. Every god damned crap job had been his for days on end. The other orderlies were beginning to call him bedpan boy. He got no transport duties only cleaning up when someone peed or crapped themselves or needed to use the bedpan. All vomit and bodily fluid spill calls were also routed directly to him.

Martin thought back to what Jack and Barry told him about Nurse Clarry. Word about what he said about her granddaughter and Sam had most likely gotten back to her. He since found out that Nurse Clarry was good friends with his boss. The two probably conspired to teach him a lesson.

It was working. The more shit, literally shit, he handled the more he listened to what others at the hospital who personally knew Sam said about him. It made huge holes in his assumptions to the point he really wished he could have left Dupont sitting in his urine longer and maybe crapped himself too. Maybe the nurse felt the same way and that is why she let him stay that way until he was finished with Mr. Chandler.

He had also overheard a couple of security guards talking about how Dupont had raced into the room gun drawn when the argument had already stopped. How one of the guys was watching the video and was on the phone with 911 when Dupont fired unprovoked. He began to wonder why the former head of security even had a weapon at the hospital and why he would fire at people for a verbal argument.

Martin was beginning to feel very bad for his comments. He knew he needed to apologize at least to Nurse Clarry if he ever wanted to see the end of this lesson on spewing crap without proper information. Sheets changed he helped Dupont into clean underwear then turned and left without speaking a word to the man. He decided to head to ICU and apologize right now to Nurse Clarry.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Sam's Room**_

Jules woke in Sam's arms feeling safe. She had had two nightmares last night but each time Sam had soothed her back to sleep. She hated feeling this way. She knew Mason but every time he came into the room she felt a flash of fear up her spine. It also happened but to a lesser degree when Scott had arrived.

All afternoon and last night she had wanted to be close to Sam. But she knew he needed time alone to process what his dad told him about. So she gave it to him. Jules was pretty sure that Spike saw how clingy she was to him. Wherever he went she followed and sat close. She knew she was completely safe here and that her fear was totally irrational. But that didn't stop her from feeling it.

She wasn't so sure how she was going to handle herself when all the Braddock's showed up. She knew them all; had spent time with most of them when they watched over Sam when he was in a coma. But she just didn't know. All her normal behaviors were skewed.

Sam knew Jules was awake. She had a restless night last night. He had lain awake after her last nightmare considering how to help her. She needed to get her confidence back but she also needed a soft touch and comfort too. He heard Scott arrive last night as Zach loudly welcomed him. Sam wondered if Laura might be able to visit at least a day or two to help Jules and decided to ask Scott about that today.

He reached up his right hand and stroked through Jules hair "Morning Beautiful."

Jules adjusted and tipped her head up to meet his eyes "Morning Mr. Blue Eyes."

"How are you feeling today Jules? I mean really feeling. Not just some platitude" Sam asked.

Knowing she could not hide it with Sam after last night's bad dreams she gave him a small smile and said truthfully "Right now, right here I'm good."

Sam grinned; she was getting good at deflection. She was learning bad habits from him. So he asked "And outside of my arms, say in the family room or kitchen?"

Damn, can't get passed him with deflection she thought. Jules shifted to a seated position "Not as good."

"What can I do to help?" Sam asked as he ran his hand lightly up and down her arm.

She leaned down and gave him a light kiss then sat back up "You're doing it. It's just gonna take some time to sort it all out."

"I hear you on that one. Christ, who would have thought things could ever go so wrong?" Sam questioned as he raked his fingers through his own hair as he thought how fouled up things were.

With a determined look Jules stated "We're gonna beat this Sam. Once the facts of who Dupont is and what he has done get out you will be vindicated."

Softly Sam said "What if I don't want it known in public what Dupont did to me? What then? I'm not so sure I shouldn't go to prison. I mean I …"

He was cut off and yelped "OW!" as Jules slugged him hard, really, really hard in the right bicep. He added "What the hell was that for Jules?"

Fire blazed in Jules eyes "Sam Braddock I NEVER want to hear you say you deserve to go to prison for hitting Dupont! You were protecting Spike, your dad and yourself from an armed man. You were wheelchair bound for god's sake and still managed to prevent him from killing one or all of you. And if you don't want the abuse to come out there are sure enough other ways to present the facts."

Sam really wanted to rub the sore spot on his arm but the left arm was still immobilized. He was mesmerized by the fire in Jules eyes. Sam didn't really hear the words of her scolding so when she asked "Do you understand me Braddock?" he was not quite sure how to answer. He opted to remain quiet hoping she would repeat the words not the jab to the arm.

Jules saw Sam's deer in the headlights stare. She must have shocked the hell out of him and he didn't hear her words. It had pissed her off that Sam even considered the thought he deserved prison time. In a more controlled voice as she lightly rubbed where she socked him she said "You do not deserve to go to prison for your actions. They were taken in self-defense and defense of others. Understand?"

Her hand felt good on his arm taking the sting away as she lightly massaged the area "If you say so Boss."

She smiled "Hmmm, Boss. I like the sound of that one. … Nah, on second thought that would be too confusing. Only Sarge is the Boss. But yeah … I say so."

They were both quiet for a few minutes just gazing at one another then Sam said hesitantly "Jules?"

"Yeah" Jules answered softly hearing the hesitance in his voice.

"I don't know if I can handle the world knowing about the sexual assault. The beatings I'm okay with people knowing because they are already part of the court-martial record but the other. …. I can't. I know that is kinda weak but I just don't know if I can handle it. I mean it is one thing for family to know. But strangers?"

"What if we go on a call and someone sees my face and it causes us a problem because they know. I don't want to be walking down a street or ordering coffee at Timmy's and have someone look at me with pity. I can't take pity. I just can't" Sam shared his deepest concerns openly.

Taking his hand in hers and holding tight Jules reassured him "That is not weak. You are the strongest man I know. It is private and if you want to keep it private we will keep it private. Like I said it was self-defense. No court in the country would convict you once all the _relevant_ facts are known. And that is not a relevant fact to this."

"What if Dupont says something?" Sam asked knowing it was irrational thinking but feeling safe to show that side of himself with Jules.

Without missing a beat Jules answered "You already know Dupont will never say anything about it. He is playing the victim card right now. Saying something about that would convict him. We will prove to the courts that he was no victim." She brushed her fingers through his hair.

There was a light knock on the door. Both smiled at each other. Sam asked "Wonder who's gonna find us together this morning?"

Jules rose to go unlock the door. As she opened it she braced herself to see who it was hoping that it was either Mrs. Braddock or Spike. No such luck. She stepped back as she opened the door wide and said "Good morning Scott, Zach and Mason." She went and sat down on Sam's bed and he took her hand. There was no sense in trying to hide it here.

Mason stayed far back from Jules and said "Morning Jules. Morning Sunshine."

Scott took the chair by the bed and teased "Better not let your mom catch ya with a girl in your bed."

Sam laughed "Been there, done that."

Jules added softly "Reason the door was locked."

Zach laughed and pulled out a twenty and handed it over to Scott "Hot damn. Damn glad you win. Didn't believe it for a damned second but damned glad I was wrong. About damned time you two were together." Zach thought back to the day he and Sam escaped and headed to SRU HQ so Sam could see his team. Well not really see but be near. He'd known then that Sam had it bad for Jules. It was good to see they were together finally.

Scott took the twenty and said "Zach, you used up your allotment of damn today. Don't let Aunt Yvonne or Laura catch you cussing so much."

Jules was wondering what Zach meant when he said it was about time they were together when Spike entered the room "So this is where the party is." Fake pouting he joked "Where's my invitation?"

Spike smiled as he thought whoa Jules stayed with Sam last night. His smile grew as he then thought that probably helped them both a lot. Having someone to hold could help.

He almost laughed out loud as he recalled his own bed companion he found when he woke this morning. He named the stuffed dog Blue. Yeah not original but it was fitting. He wasn't quite sure if it was his plan for Jules, his realizations about Sam or Blue had helped last night. Maybe it was all three. But he was feeling a bit better today because he didn't have a nightmare last night.

"It was a private party until Scott, Zach and Gorgeous decided to crash it" Sam replied. He liked what he saw. The dark circles were not quite so prominent on Spike's face and he was grinning and joking.

Mason said "Hate to break up this party but I bet Blondie would like to get a shower and dressed before the rest of the family shows up."

"That would be nice" Sam commented.

Scott stood and looked at Jules "Laura will be here shortly. If you need help with the cast cover I'm sure she would be happy to give you a hand."

Then he looked at Sam "She's staying for a few days. My mom has been begging to have Jerrell and Anna all to herself and your mom could use the help here with all the guys. I've already put together the duty plan for the cousin. We won't let her get run down."

"Thanks Scott. I was a bit worried about that. Although they didn't say anything, the fact that mom wasn't here the day after we arrived means she must have had an episode in London" Sam said with concern. Then he thought, just like Scott to be thinking about his mom. Now he also wouldn't need to ask him if Laura could come and help. From his comment to Jules it was also clear Scott was thinking of Jules's need for more female presence. It was always odd how their thinking was so in tune.

Spike was confused and asked "Get run down? Episode? What's up?"

"She doesn't like to advertise it but I trust you and Jules. My mom has CFS." At the confused look on Spike's face Sam clarified "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She is a powerhouse usually but it hits her hard sometimes. Whenever all the family is here we make a plan to cover certain duties and just make sure mom's in charge. We make sure she doesn't run herself ragged without making her feel like an invalid."

Jules said to Scott "Sign me up for whatever you think I can handle" as she waved the cast. Then she added "I'd really like to help. Too much idle time is bad."

Spike pipped in "I can do the bread and pastas and help with cooking in general. My Ma sent a few recipes with the Ma's Love. Kneading dough is more productive than squeezing that therapy putty that Lizzy sent over."

Scott nodded to both "Noted." Then he looked at Sam and grinned "Gonna be hard to find a chore for your sorry ass. Down to one hand and you cut that one too I see."

Sam retorted "I can dry dishes. I gotta start moving the left arm or it'll freeze."

"Okay. You and Jules can be in charge of drying dishes. Between the two of you, you have a set of hands. Kyle will appreciate the help. He hates doing dishes" Scott said with a smirk.

Zach laughed "Damn glad I'm not the youngest."

"Zachary Ryan Braddock what have I told you about your language in front of ladies. Do I have to call your mom?" Laura scolded playfully as she entered the room.

"Ooo you're in trouble now cuz. I did warn you though. But do you ever listen to me?" Scott laughed.

A blush reddened Zach's cheeks as he said "No, please don't call her. I'm sorry Laura. I'll watch it from now on."

Jules thought damn, I'm gonna have to watch my use of that word too. She smiled and said "Hello Laura. Nice to see you again."

Laura looked at all the people in Sam's room and said "Hello Jules, Sam, Spike and Mason." Then she walked over and bent down to give Jules a hug and added "Heard you could use a bit of help with a cast cover. Shall we head upstairs and leave these boys to their own devices until breakfast?" With that Jules and Laura headed out.

Once they were gone Sam looked at his cousins and Mason and said "Guys this is important. Our Sarge and Ed cannot know we are dating. It needs to be secret. We are breaking a rule and could get dismissed or split up. I trust you to keep quiet if they come to visit. Spike and Wordy know but they have promised to keep our secret so long as we keep to the priority of life code."

They all agreed then Spike, Scott and Zach headed out so that Sam could get showered and changed.

* * *

 _ **Toronto Police Headquarters – Detective Jackson's Office**_

Detective Sally Jackson was not a happy camper. Every one of the victims they spoke to could not conclusively identify the odor of the cologne with their attacker. Some thought it smelled familiar. Some had no recollection of the smell at all. A few fished for answers and when a rookie investigator made the mistake of saying it was the cologne the attacker wore they wholeheartedly said it was the cologne. But in reality it was not their memory but rather influenced by the rookie. It was an honest mistake but a damned frustrating one.

Some could recall the man by photo as someone they saw at the hospital but were not certain he was the attacker. All they had was circumstantial evidence. Gerard Dupont was in the area at the times of the attacks. He worked in the hospitals of the attacks. But that was it.

There could be other victims outside the hospital but they had no leads on that. The only real evidence was the recovered memories of what appeared to be Dupont's first victim. But therein lays the problem, recovered memories. Any lawyer worth their salts would poke holes in recovered memories. There was no smoking gun. No proof positive.

There was also the identical twin factor. Even if they could find DNA that linked Gerard, he could prove that they could not be sure it was not his brother's DNA instead of his. She hated when identical twins committed crimes. This one was further complicated by the name switch. Gerard was Gaston and Gaston was Gerard. All very confusing to present to a jury and have them understand.

Then there was the trumped up assault charge against Constable Braddock. Using him as a witness and victim could be challenged as a retaliatory effort by Braddock against Dupont. She could see that scumbag lawyer Elliot Blather accusing Braddock of trying to smear Dupont's name to get back at him because the media dragged Braddock's name through the mud.

So far Sally had not spoken directly with Braddock. She had worked through Royce Duffy. The investigation was stalled. It was time to speak with Braddock. Perhaps she could join the group heading to Ottawa tomorrow.


	13. Morning Events & Bloodthirsty Braddocks

**Morning Events & Bloodthirsty Braddocks**

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Library**_

Sam was in the wheelchair sipping coffee and staring out the library window waiting for everyone to gather. He reflected on the events of this morning. It had been a whirlwind as all the Braddock men arrived and got settled. By unvoiced agreement no one brought up any issues this morning or over lunch.

Right after breakfast Sam noticed that Jules and Laura had disappeared and only reappeared just before lunch. Kyle had arrived and immediately went to crash in his room only to emerge just before lunch. At lunch he explained to everyone that he had not gotten any sleep on the flight due to a bunch of guys loudly discussing their plans for leave. The General, Uncle Erik, Uncle Ryan and Uncle Mark met in Dad's study and stayed there until lunch was served.

When Jeff arrived he spoke with Scott and Mason in the family room for a bit. Then Jeff and Mason took him outside. They claimed he needed a change of scenery. Sam was in agreement with that since he hadn't been outside in days. Jeff and Mason wheeled him down to the pond. Once there they discussed the coming physical therapy with Lizzy and laughed about installing an industrial sized ice machine. While there Jeff indicated that he had plans to recreate the obstacle course for Sam to use again.

Mason told Sam he had talked with Lizzy that morning and was given new instructions on manipulation of his shoulder. He suggested getting it over with now since the afternoon would be pretty busy. Scott arrived at the pond just as Mason began to manipulate his shoulder. It was necessary but damned painful and he could not completely hold in the yell when Mason made him move it beyond the comfort zone.

Scott had laughed and asked "Is that as loud as you can yell? Sounds like a wee little kitten mewling."

Jeff had glared at Scott and asked him "What the hell are you doing laughing at Sam?"

Scott whispered something to Jeff that Sam did not hear because with the next movement of his shoulder he yelled louder. It caused the geese in the pond to startle and fly off. An outsider might have been appalled at seeing Scott and now Jeff laugh and teasing him when he yelled in pain. But Sam knew what Scott was doing and was grateful. They were egging him on to yell louder and longer with each manipulation.

When Mason was done and his arm back in the sling Scott asked him "Better?"

Sam just nodded because his throat was raw from yelling. The release of all his pent up rage and pain by yelling felt damned good.

Jeff patted his good shoulder and said "Good."

When the four of them returned to the house he was feeling more relaxed and settled. He really needed to be relaxed to get through this today. He would be sharing things that he never told anyone in his family about and Spike and Jules would be learning some things too. He expected the Braddock rage meter to bust wide open. But full disclosure would be needed for them to determine the best strategy.

As Sam watched his cousins arrange chairs in a circle for everyone he thought about Jules's morning. Laura was a godsend. She took Jules out for some girl time and pampering. When the returned he learned that Laura took Jules to get a manicure and pedicure.

They also went shopping. Laura called it retail therapy. Jules came back wearing a new royal blue dress with half sleeves and a pair of high heels to match, or so she said. Those things were really out of his realm. However he could not take his eyes off her. Jules was absolutely stunning.

Part of the reason she looked so stunning was that some of her confidence had returned. It was in the spark in her eyes and the way she carried herself when she walked. Also Jules did not shy away from the Braddock men and greeted each one with a hug before lunch. She even hugged Mason although Sam could see that her confidence wavered a bit with that one. He had no clue what Laura said or did but whatever it was had a huge positive impact on Jules.

Before he had headed down to the pond with Jeff and Mason, Spike had talked to him about his plans for Jules's home. He had to keep from snickering at the insane overkill because he didn't want to hurt Spike's feeling. Sam knew Spike's heart was in the right place. But he doubted Jules would want multiple cameras in every room. Spike's plan even had cameras in the bathrooms.

He had calmly suggested to Spike that it would be a good idea to review the plan with Jules in a few days. To let Jules take the lead on how much of the plan she wanted to implement. He also suggested that Spike contact Angus. Although Angus had started his business in then bomb technology arena he had branched out into various other areas too and might know about other unreleased technologies.

It made Sam happy to see Spike more normal. He grinned when Spike had gotten a bit giddy at that suggestion to contact Angus. Then Spike got even more excited when he realized that Angus with his many contacts in the technology business might be able to obtain some of the components for a better price.

Spike was very worried about the cost. Sam told him not to worry that whatever plan Jules agreed to Sam would cover the entire expense. When Spike balked at that Sam quietly reminded him of his untouched trust fund. He told Spike he could think of no better use for some of the money. When Spike argued that he should not pay for all of it Sam quietly said it would make him feel better about not being there to protect Jules when she needed. Understanding lit in Spike's eyes and he stopped all opposition to Sam paying for it.

After that Spike had gone off to call Angus. At lunch Spike seem closer to his normal self. Kyle and Spike had hit it off again and joked back and forth then delved into techno geek speak that excluded most of the table. Sam looked over to the corner where the two were now and saw they were still deep in animated conversation. It was nice to see.

Adam, Zach, Spike and Ida had prepared lunch under Mom's direction. Lunch was not exactly a boisterous affair but it was not quiet either. It had been a while since all of the cousins had been in the same location. Usually at least one was absent at family gatherings. Mostly it was Zach now since he was in Special Forces. They spent the time catching up with each other's lives and careers.

Each shared amusing stories about work, buddies, or family. Scott and Laura were fountains of stories about Jerrell's and Anna's antics that made everyone smile. Jeff had several comical ones about recruits and the mud bog. Kyle regaled them with his story of how his friends helped him make it to the plane on time. Adam just dismissed questions about the very colorful bruise mumbling something about four to one being good odds. The others let it go and didn't push when they got a glare from Uncle Ryan.

Sam pulled his gaze from the window and looked up when his mom entered the room and walked over to him. She held a plastic travel mug in her hand which he remembered fondly. 'Mom's water' he called the covert coffee she slipped to him in that mug.

Yvonne stopped in front of Sam and took the ceramic coffee mug from his hand and replaced it with the plastic one. "No more cuts needed to your hands son." She bent down and gave him a gentle motherly smile then kissed his cheek.

Then Yvonne stood tall and straight and looked at him squarely "Sammy I'll will not stay and listen to the details son. I believe you will be more comfortable if Laura and I do not stay. I will be available to you any time you want and support you in any way you need. I love you son. Just know that none of this is your fault. NONE of it! And it in no way will change how any of us feels about you."

The cousins looked to one another with perplexed expressions. Why was their aunt making a statement like this and why would she not stay? There was definitely more going on than Sam facing an aggravated assault charge. Deep foreboding began to churn in their guts.

Yvonne then looked at Jules and asked "Are you leaving with Laura and me?"

Jules walked behind Sam and placed hands on his shoulders and said categorically "No I'm staying right here."

Yvonne smiled and nodded "Good. I would have expected no less Jules. Sam is in good hands with you." She placed her hand on top of Jules and gave it a quick squeeze expressing her thanks that Jules would be looking out for Sam this afternoon.

That comment garnered strange confused looks form Kyle, Adam and his uncles.

Then Yvonne brushed once through Sam's hair "Remember I love you son no matter what you decide to do."

She turned to her husband "William, I trust you to keep the others in line. I do not wish to come into a thrash room no matter how angry they become." She then gave each man a look that said no breaking things.

That only increased the sense of disquiet they were all feeling. Admonishments like that would not be necessary unless what Sam had to tell them was truly horrible.

William nodded and kissed Yvonne. "I will. They will behave."

Laura knew that Scott would fill her in on whatever she needed to know later. She walked to Sam and gave him a quick peck on the cheek and handed two pills to Jules. "Cliff said it was almost time for Sam's next dose."

Yvonne and Laura left the room and closed the doors on their way out. Everyone except the General and Jules took seats. Jules walked to the table that had a supply of water bottles on it and grabbed one. She handed it to Spike who knew what she wanted without her asking. He unscrewed the cap and handed it back to her.

Jules walked to Sam. She took his coffee mug and set it one the near table then dropped one of the two pills in his hand "One now to take the edge off. The second in a few hours."

Sam complied without complaint. Jules had known he would not take both and he was glad she didn't try to push it. He could actually use both right now but wanted to be clear headed. When he was done he handed the water bottle back to her. Jules set the bottle down on the same table and took the seat to Sam's right. Sam reached out and clasped her hand.

She turned and looked at him. "You can do this" she whispered softly and squeezed his hand.

General Braddock cleared his throat "Okay, we all know that Sam has been accused of aggravated assault. I'm sure you all have heard the garbage the media is spewing. Today you will learn the full story. It is not pretty and it will be painful for Samuel to tell."

He looked at his brothers "Some of you know parts but not the full details. As Yvonne stipulated she does not want to find anything broken in here. In order to help Samuel get through this I ask that you hold your rage in check until we are done and then you can find an outlet to release it safely. Once Samuel has laid it all out we will need to decide on a strategy. Samuel will be the final decision maker. What he says I will abide by. I expect no less from each of you. Is that understood?"

There was a round of subdued "Yes" from his brothers and "Yes Sir" from his nephews, Mason and Spike. Jules remained quiet knowing that is what she would always do.

The General squeezed Sam's shoulder then sat down on his left side "The floor is yours son whenever you are ready to start."

Sam took a moment to look at each person in the circle. He drew a deep breath. Start easy he thought. Start on a positive. He turned his head and smiled at Jules.

He lifted their entwined hands "First I have a request. Tomorrow the Chief and several members of the police department will be here. Jules and I are dating. It is serious for both of us. The problem is that we are breaking a rule that can get us fired. Spike and Wordy know and approve of our relationship. We are professional and will maintain the priority of life protocols."

"We dated before Jules was shot. But when Jules returned to the team we broke up. We tried to ignore what was between us. We tried to be best friends but that just wasn't enough. What we felt for each other just wouldn't go away" Sam kissed her hand.

He then looked out at his family "My request is that you keep our secret. If our Boss or Ed find out the minimum that would happen is that one of us will have to leave the team. Neither of us wants that. Life makes sense when we are together. We are good partners both on and off the job. Can you keep our secret?"

A round of exuberant and emphatic "Yeses" was heard in additional to several 'about damned time' comments. Jules was going to have to ask them about those comments. Were they so obvious before or was it just Braddock insight?

When things quieted Sam looked at his dad "Sir, I'm not quite sure where to begin."

Seeing that Samuel was struggling to just jump into all the sordid details the General suggested "Why don't you tell us your side of what happened in the physical therapy assessment room at the hospital and then we can go from there."

Nodding and thankful for being able to start there Sam began "Dad, Spike and I were in the assessment room. My back was to the door. Dad and Spike were near the windows. We had just finished yelling. Spike and I were upset that we could not go with Ed and Wordy to make sure Jules was okay. It really pissed me off that I could not go."

Holding tightly to her hand Sam related what happened to Jules. Concern for Jules and outrage displayed on every man's face but they contained the desire to pace or hit something. They could all understand why Sam would be yelling in the hospital given what Sam had just told them about his relationship with Jules. That would have devastated Sam not being able to go to her rescue.

Sam resumed the events in the assessment room "I smelled him before I saw him."

Kyle asked "Smelled him?"

The General interjected "All in due time. Please try to hold questions. This is all very complicated but once we get done you will be able to tie all the pieces together." There were nods all around.

Jules handed Sam his coffee and he took a sip and handed it back "Yeah I smelled him. He wears distinctive cologne. I will never forget that smell. This time instead of absolute, paralyzing fear it invoked white hot rage." There were more questioning glances between cousins, why fear? But they remained silent.

Sam continued "A split second later I saw a reflection in the window. Dupont was raising the gun towards Dad and Spike. I wasn't sure who he was aiming at in that second but decided the most likely target was Dad since Dupont didn't really know Spike. I did the only thing I could do. I launched myself from the wheelchair to knock Dad out of the line of fire. The bullet grazed my arm."

"After we hit the ground adrenaline was pumping and all I could think of was Dupont was still armed. I rolled off and went into a crouched position. I guess I didn't feel any pain in my leg. All I thought was that I would not let Dupont harm another person. I had to stop him at all costs. The gun started rising again and I reacted."

"I didn't feel the second bullet that went into my thigh. We grappled on the ground and I finally got the upper hand."

Spike interrupted "Sam you missed something. You didn't just launch yourself at him. That bastard spoke. He asked you if you were ready to die and said you should have died in that burnt out house you were hiding in years ago. He said he knew you were there and he stole your supplies leaving you to die of dehydration, starvation or the elements."

He didn't want to repeat what else Dupont said. Spike would leave that to Sam or the General to bring up. He noted looks of fury building in the Braddock eyes and edgy shifting in chairs. Their restraint was being sorely tested Spike thought.

Sam closed his eyes replaying the scene in his head. Everyone heard the sharp intake of air as Sam recalled what Dupont said. He opened his eyes "Dupont told me I was his first boy." Bile started to rise and he swallowed hard to quell the need to vomit.

Scott whispered compassionately "Sam what do you mean first boy?" His gut was wrenching suspecting and not wanting it to be the answer.

Sam turned his eyes to Jules. She reached behind him quickly. She had been prepared, she knew that look. A small trashcan appeared in front of him an instant before Sam lost his lunch."

Cousins, Uncles and Mason were all out of their chairs white-knuckled clenched fists. They were raging and pacing trying to regain their control as Sam continued to puke. No one needed words to make it clear what Sam meant.

The General knelt to the side of Sam his hand lightly rubbing Sam's back in comfort and support as his son heaved. When Sam was done his dad handed him water to rinse. Jules gave him a cloth to wipe his face.

After some time Sam had recomposed himself and the Braddock's had resumed their seats. The tension in the room was palpable. Sam sat back in his wheelchair and quipped "I really shouldn't have had seconds at lunch."

Scott snorted "Jesus Sam." Then he leaned forward his elbows on his knees and stared at his twin cousin eight years younger "So that bastard sexually assaulted you. When?"

Focusing on Scott was easier than looking at everyone "I was eleven. I repressed the memories. Dupont was court-martialed for the beatings though."

Various comments of "oh shit" and "crap it gets worse" and others not clearly heard went around the room.

Sam went on to tell them all about how the odor trigged his fear in the hospital. How they discovered that Dupont had a twin and switched names and about the cameras watching him in the hospital. He let the General tell them all about him running away. How he found out and about the court-martial. William also told them about his covert op after getting the call from Parker.

General Braddock also explained all that Duffy had found out and how he was working with Detective Jackson to nail Dupont for other crimes. William added information Sam was not aware of regarding how they had traced the hacking of the pediatric cameras to Dupont. He also told them about the letter the 'real' Gaston had written outlining Gerard's hate and desire for vengeance on both of them and the stalking.

Kyle was dumbfounded, actually they all were he noted as he looked at all his cousins and uncles. In a voice that was incredulous Kyle asked "With all this evidence why has the Police Department been so silent? They should be screaming your innocence Sam."

In a weary tone Sam softly said "I'd like to know that too. It's not the first time I've been hung out to dry by the Metro PD."

The General looked at him sharply "What do you mean Samuel?"

Spike and Jules looked at each other and then back at Sam. What was he talking about?

Sam looked at Jules "Can I have that other pill? The other one didn't have much a chance to work before it came back up."

Mason got up and knelt in front of Sam. He saw the weariness and pain. He said "That chair isn't too comfortable. How about I get you situated on the couch."

Sam didn't want to admit he was in so much pain but he'd been sitting in this chair for hours now and it was not comfortable. His leg ached badly. He nodded "Yeah. That'd be good."

The cousins quickly got to work rearranging the furniture to bring the couch into the circle. Mason gently lifted Sam and put him on the couch. Spike shoved a pillow behind his back and one under his elbow to support his injured arm. Jules tucked a throw blanket around Sam because his hands had been ice cold. While they were doing that the uncles headed out and returned with fresh coffee and a snack tray for everyone.

Jules got the pain pill and gently urged "You should take a few bites of something; an apple, some cheese or maybe just crackers. You shouldn't take it on an empty stomach."

The Braddock men began to resume their seats and watched as Jules coaxed Sam into eating something then made sure he was comfortable. Each man completely and utterly approved of Jules. They all hoped that it would turn into a marriage at some point. But none of them would say a single word out loud at this point in their relationship. They had a hard road given they chose to break a rule. Time would tell.

Each man was harboring and struggling to rein in and control their rage over this whole situation. They felt pain and intense anger for what happened to Sam both back then and now. They felt pain for William knowing how badly it must have hurt him to find out his son had been assaulted and he had not been there to protect him.

And Christ poor Yvonne, no wonder she did not want to stay for the details. She was insightful as always. She left because she knew if she was here Sam would not be able to tell them and cause her untold pain. They knew Sam would rather die than cause his mother pain.

Scott could imagine how he would react if someone did that to Jerrell or Anna. Plain and simple he would kill them. He'd kill them slow and painful. How Uncle Will maintained control was beyond him?

Once Jules finally took a seat the General said "Samuel what did you mean this is not the first time you were hung out to dry?"

Looking at his dad he said "It's the reason I left the 51st Division and joined the Army. Did Bella ever tell you how I was involved with putting away four dirty cops?"

William answered "Yes she told your mom who told me. Was that the reason you left? I always wondered. You were so dead set against joining the Army. I was glad when you did. I'm sorry I never asked what changed your mind."

Sam blew out a breath "Not your fault, we weren't on the best of terms back then. Probably wouldn't have told you if you asked back then. No it wasn't the direct reason but it was the catalyst. What changed my mind was what happened when I went back to duty after the beating."

Adam said "Wait back up I didn't know anything about you putting away dirty cops."

Zach laughed "What rock are you living under Adam? Remember that whole debacle a year or two ago when those idiot ex-cops kidnapped Sam? It was all over the news. One of the vermin accused Lou of excessive force or something like that and it got thrown out. That old sniper took out three of the four and the other died in prison."

"Sorry I don't recall anything about that. I was stationed at FOL Inuvik, NT back then. It's a frozen isolated wasteland with little or no news. Damn place was so cold, it never got warmer that seven degrees Fahrenheit the entire time I was there" Adam excused his lapse in knowledge.

Zach laughed again "Okay I amend that to what iceberg were you living under? I was out of country and I still knew about it."

Adam started to make a retort to his brother when Ryan Braddock cleared his throat and looked hard at his sons "Stow it boys. Sam you were saying? That was not the reason but the catalyst."

"Yeah. Seems I'm being accused of hiding behind the blue wall of silence this time. Last time I was accused of breaching the blue wall of silence. After I healed and returned to duty I was ostracized. The worst part was that no back came when I called. Most the time I could handle it. But it almost cost a six month old baby his life. Mine too. I thought the baby died as he was dropped from the window. I just couldn't stay after that."

His father, uncles and cousins peppered him with questions and he answered in detail of all that was done to him. Spike and Jules sat stunned that the police force had treated Sam so badly. Sam related how the chain of command was shaken up after he left. When he was done the Braddocks were all seething with anger again.

Sam leaned back exhausted. It was emotionally and physically draining. He closed his eyes for a moment as several heated conversation were taking place between his family members.

Jules watch Sam closely. She saw his breathing even out. She stood up and got the attention of everyone in the room without saying a word. She pointed to Sam then placed her index finger to her lips. They got it, Sam was sleeping. Sam was worn out and needed a break.

Everyone except Jules fled the room desperately needing a break so they could release their tightly bound emotions.

* * *

 _ **Outside General Braddock's Home**_

Zach and Kyle stormed out together and set off running at a punishing pace not bothering to even warm up. Adam grabbed one of the mountain bikes and tore off at hyper speed. All of them needing to push themselves to the limit; needing to feel the burning in their chest as they gulped for air. Each was trying to come to grips with the swirling emotions that had no other release and quell the bloodthirsty thoughts that overwhelmed them.

Jeff headed towards the shed in the back yard needing to hit something. He picked up a hammer and began pounding the hell out of a piece of wood as he yelled out his anger and frustration. He imagined the piece of wood was the face of Dupont and the four dirty cops.

Scott sought out Laura. One look at his face had Laura in tears without knowing what happened. The two headed out to the pond and a short time later the geese vacated it again escaping from sounds of pain filled roars voicing retribution he wanted to seek. When he was spent Scott collapsed into Laura's arms as they sat on the bench. She held him and stroked his hair offering the silent comfort of her touch trying to ease the pain he clearly felt even without knowing what caused it.

Running to the woods for solitude Mason collapsed to the ground against a tree and just cried for all the pain that Blondie endured. He contemplated how much to tell Blaze and Winds. If they were not on a mission they would have been here too. As the tears coursed unchecked down his cheeks he was glad Blaze was not here. If he was he would already be on his way to the hospital to kill that son of a bitch Dupont with his bare hands.

Mason looked down at his own large hands. He could do it, it would be easy, just a little snap, not much pressure at all. He would do it if Dupont didn't go to jail. Dupont had lived too long as a free man and would pay one way or another for the crimes against Blondie.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Spike's Room**_

Spike had run up the stairs and to his room. He needed privacy as the tears threatened to fall. He screamed furiously into the pillow at the injustice of it all.

After several minutes of screaming he sat on the bed plotting how to kill Dupont and wishing he knew the names of all the officers that had ignored Sam's calls for backup. Part of him wished he could have done what Henry Cooke did but he would have gotten all four of them instead of only three of them. God damned blue wall of silence.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – General's Study**_

General Braddock followed by his brothers strode into his study. Loud mostly indistinguishable words erupted at random intervals from the room. They were punctuated with clear crisp "Should have killed him!", "Shouldn't have stopped you" and "What the hell are we gonna do?"

The sound of glass shattering was followed by a long quiet as Mark, Erik and Ryan tried to console their brother who slumped to the floor in agony, angry tears flowing and not caring he was bleeding all over the floor.

Mark and Ryan worked to stop the bleeding as they picked glass shards out of William's fist then cleaned and bandage his hands. Erik swept up the broken glass from the floor in front of the now glassless curio cabinet.

Then Mark poured them all two fingers of bourbon. William could probably use more than that but he, they, needed to maintain their wits. Now was not the time to get hammered. That would be later after they had a plan to exonerate and get justice for Sam.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Yvonne's and William's Room**_

Yvonne heard each of them leave with the not quite slams of the door. She heard the yells and breaking glass. Without hearing the details her heart fragmented into tiny little pieces as she quietly wept on her bed.

She would cry now then pull herself together. Her men needed her to be strong. She would be strong for their sakes. But for now she could cry for her the pain her boy suffered.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Library**_

Jules curled up on the opposite side of the couch and watched Sam sleep. She wanted to curl next to him but she did not want to wake him. Tonight she would hold him again and allow him to draw strength from her just as she did from him.

So many emotions twirled around in her mind. She focused on the last bit. How could any officer or commander deliberately ignore a backup call? How dare they put the officer, Sam, and the citizens in jeopardy like that? It made more sense why the Chief wanted to visit now. They probably worried about Sam filing some lawsuit or something.

Jules snorted softly. They clearly didn't know the caliber of Sam. That's not something he would do. Sam would the wrong righted and for it not to happen to anyone else but he was not vindictive nor would he seek monetary gain.

However she saw the bloodlust in the eyes of Sam's family and in Mason. If they did not come up with a plan there might be bloodshed tomorrow based on some of the looks as the Braddock's stormed out of the room. She absently thought hope all weapons are locked up when the Chief shows up tomorrow.


	14. Parallels, Shitfaced & Wolf Exposed

**Parallels, Shitfaced & Wolf Exposed**

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Sam's Room**_

Entering Sam's bedroom Jules smiled at Mason and Sam who were quietly speaking. Mason politely excused himself and left rather quickly telling Sam he would be back first thing in the morning to help him shower and dress.

Jules stopped Mason just outside the door of the room and hugged him then said apologetically with downcast eyes "I'm sorry. You don't need to leave the room when I enter. I'm not frightened of you. It's just your size that still intimidates me a bit."

Mason's large hand gently tilted her face up to him "No apology needed Jules. When you are ready there are some tactics Blondie and I would like to teach you for dealing with a much larger opponent. We were discussing that tonight. We'll leave it to you to say when you are ready."

She smiled at him "Thanks. I'd like that."

Before he turned to leave Mason said seriously "Jules, I think you and Blondie are perfect together. Thanks for taking such good care of him. Let him take care of you too. Night Jules."

She had stood there watching him head to the kitchen. Gentle Giant is what crossed her mind. Sam sure had some strong friendships with his JTF2 buddies and she was glad for it. She turned and headed back into the room.

When she entered for a second time Jules glanced at the clock and then at Sam. He was reclining against the headboard and his eyes were closed. It was only nine pm and still rather early for bed but Sam was wiped out.

Jules decided to change for bed. Just before dinner she and Yvonne relocated her clothing and personal items to Sam's room making the sage room available to Laura and Scott. She felt a bit awkward but Yvonne had just smiled reassuringly letting her know she was fine with the arrangement. Her approval made Jules very happy.

Yvonne's tenderness reminded her of her mom. It had been a long time since she had a mother's care. She'd almost forgotten how good it felt to be comforted in that way. So many years of mainly being in the company of males it felt good to revisit her feminine side with Laura today. Much like the time Sophie and Shel signed her up for the spa day at Wunderlust lodge.

Thinking back to Yvonne's approving smile as she helped her put her clothes in the dresser it brought an image of her own mother to mind again. It made her wonder what her mother would have thought of Sam. Jules glanced at Sam and smiled knowing that her mom would have approved of Sam too.

The grins and words of support from all the Braddock males when Sam announced to them that they were dating came to mind. That felt good too. Then the thought of her brothers entered her head. Would they approve of Sam? She pushed that away not wanting to think about them now. Too many more pressing issues to deal with first.

She headed into the bathroom and as she brushed her teeth she tried to release the stress of this afternoon so she would be able to sleep. After Sam's nap the plans were developed. That strategy session had been full of tension and dissention.

In the end the General put his foot down. Those with different opinions had disagreed but committed to the course chosen by Sam. But by the time they were done several of the Braddock cousins were not talking to one another. It made dinner a somewhat stilted affair.

Sam had excused himself right after dinner and gone to his room. Mason had been the one to take him and he hung out in the bedroom with Sam. Jules spent the evening talking with Laura, Yvonne and Spike. Sam's father and uncles holed up in the study together after dinner. All the cousins disappeared to who knows where. Jules hoped they would resolve their differences before tomorrow. They needed to present a solid front tomorrow afternoon.

Finished with her teeth and washing her face Jules went to lock the bedroom door but did not go directly to the bed. She instead went to the floor near the dresser and picked up a bag and put it at the foot of the bed.

At the sound of the rustling bag Sam opened his eyes. He was curious "What do you have there?"

Jules grinned "You remember earlier I said Laura and I did some retail therapy?"

"Yeah" Sam answered then added "Love the dress you wore this afternoon and those PJs are nice too. Though I prefer you in one of my tees or nothing at all." He waggled his brows, gave her an exaggerated leer then winked at her.

Jules swatted his foot and giggled lightly "Behave. Not gonna happen with a houseful of cousins."

"Can't blame a guy for trying. I mean you're hot. And now that I think of it those PJs are doing something for me. Who knew PJs with little Xs and Os all over them could be so sexy?"

Now Jules was full out laughing. It took her a few minutes to reel it in. "You gonna behave? If not I'm not showing you what I got."

Sam had been laughing right along with her and settled down "I'll be good." She nodded and he couldn't resist adding in a quiet undertone "At least for now. No promises later."

Jules rolled her eyes and pulled one item out of the bag. "This is for me." She held up a tee shirt with the Pink Ranger on it.

"Oh now you're just being mean Jules. How can I behave when you show me that?" Sam whined.

She ignored his comment and pulled another shirt out "This is for you." Jules showed him one with the Green Ranger on it.

"Now you're talking. Toss it here." He caught it and shook it out to look at the shirt. "Thanks Jules. I'm thinking role play …"

Jules said "Hold your horses soldier. I'm not done. It got me thinking."

Sam looked at her quizzically "About what?"

Pulling four more shirts out of the bag Jules said "The team. Got one for each of the guys. It really seemed to fit."

One by one she held up and displayed to him the other shirts and explained "I got Ed the Red Ranger because he was the leader of the team, so serious and focused on being the best and into saving the world. Wordy is the Black Ranger because he was everybody's friend and had a good heart but is also streetwise and balanced out the Red Ranger. Spike got the Blue Ranger because …"

Sam interrupted "The Blue Ranger is the ultra-intelligent kid. He's the sweet, good-hearted super-genius geek. Perfect so far. So who did you get for the Boss?"

Jules smiled "Who else? The Boss is Zordon the ageless sage who is wise and kind. He directs the mission and hands out advice to whoever asks."

Chuckling Sam tossed his tee shirt back to her and said "Looks like you had fun. Jules this is perfect. You pegged them all. Think we could get the Boss to say 'It's mighty morphin' time!' instead of 'Let's keep the peace'?"

She giggled as she imagined the Boss saying that as she put all the shirts back into the bag and put it back by the dresser. "Not sure but we could try." She helped Sam to lie down then crawled into bed next to him and covered them both with the blanket.

Sam kissed the top of her head "Jules have I told you lately that I love you? If not, I love you."

Jules snuggled closer and said "Love you too."

A short time later when the room was quiet around them and they were on the cusp of sleep Jules softly said "I thought about Lou too. Although the Yellow Ranger was a girl she had the right characteristics for Lou. He would be the Yellow Ranger because he was slow to anger, observant and had a peaceful soul. Also because the Yellow Ranger was the only one the really understood the Blue Ranger."

She left unsaid her reasoning for Sam being the Green Ranger. She chose that for him because the Green Ranger was the most powerful of the Power Rangers. He received his power while under the spell of the evil Rita. He was saved by the Power Rangers from a life serving the Evil Empress and joined them to fight on the side of good.

Jules equated the Evil Empress to all the horrible events in Sam's life. She also saw parallel in Sam joining Team One as when the Green Ranger joined the Power Rangers and was saved from evil. Not that Sam was evil; he always fought on the good side. But it was more that Team One saved Sam at a time he was so lost and needed somewhere to belong.

Sam just responded with a sleepy "Hmmm" and caressed Jules's arm as he drifted to sleep thinking how lucky he was to have Jules in his life. She embodied the Pink Ranger characteristics too. It was clear she liked to shop but she thought of others and not just herself when she did. She was bright and beautiful, strong and independent and she is always positive with those she cared about.

This afternoon had been difficult for him. But her gentle hand in his was all the reassurance he needed. With Jules by his side he could face anything even if it meant he had to air his most private torment for the entire world to see. He hoped it wouldn't come to that but with Jules he could do it.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Scott's and Laura's Room**_

Laura was still up and waiting in bed when Scott finally came in. She looked at her husband. He looked like something the cat dragged in, smelled like it too. He was definitely three sheets to the wind. After dinner Scott, Adam, Zach, Jeff and Kyle had all left the house for the Raven. She understood their need to get out for a few hours but it was now two am and he clearly imbibed more than he should have.

Their strategy session had gone on a long time with a lot of heated words thrown around. Braddock's all had strong opinions and often times they were in direct conflict with what another thought. It could be like two freight trains colliding. Scott and the others had gone out to smooth over their relationships after the heated debates.

Laura put her book down "Everyone back on the same page?"

Having difficulty removing his shoes Scott said with a slur "Yeah, Jeff and Adam speaking to each other again. Kyle doesn't want to disown me as a brother either. We're all good now."

Watching his impaired movements as he undressed she responded "Good thing the meeting isn't tomorrow morning. The five of you probably smell like a brewery. Hangovers are probably on tap for tomorrow morning."

Walking in a zig zag manner to the bed Scott crawled in bed beside Laura. Once there he slurred out "For sure. Was necessary. Bet Sam felt like getting plastered. Too bad he's on pain meds. When he's able we'll take him out to get shitfaced too."

Laura swatted his behind and laughed "Drunk or not watch your language mister."

She was met with a loud snore. Scott was out like a light.

Laura reached over and turned off the lamp. She laid down and put her arm around Scott. As she waited for sleep to take her she thought regardless of the language used Scott was right, Sam deserved to get rip roaring drunk after today.

Tomorrow was going to be just as hard for him. When they shared the plans at dinner she agreed with Sam's decision. If at all possible he wanted to keep what Dupont did to him private. The only reason he would reveal it is if it was the only course of action to prevent Dupont from harming more boys.

She glanced once more at the clock and thought she really should get some sleep. She, Yvonne and Jules had some major work ahead of them tomorrow. She smiled at the thought of the changes to be orchestrated to the Study and the Library for tomorrow. Also there was shopping that needed to be done. Oh and the uniforms to ensure were fully pressed. She yawned and slipped to sleep making her to do list.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Sam's Room**_

Jules and Sam had slumbered peacefully through the night in each other's arms. It was near six am when Sam's nightmare began.

 _He was a little boy afraid._

 _He was in his bathroom at the General's house in the desert._

 _He felt uncomfortable._

 _Turning he saw the wolf was watching him again. The wolf was always watching._

 _He grabbed the towel and hurried to cover himself after his shower._

 _The wolf leered at him and licked his lips._

 _His stomach felt queasy at the look._

 _The wolf took his towel._

 _He dressed as the wolf watched him._

 _The wolf was always watching._

 _The world shifted and he had to fight back, stand up._

 _Pain erupted and he crashed to the ground._

 _The wolf pounced and shredded his clothes laying him bare._

 _It was growling and was mauling him. Not with teeth but with hands. Hands were all over him._

 _Touching him were he did not want to be touched._

 _The scent of lime, musk and cedar covered his body as the hands mauled him._

 _The wolf was laughing as he struggled to get away. It hurt. It hurt a lot._

 _The demon wolf was hurting him over and over._

 _Then he was running, running and running._

 _He needed to hide or the wolf would hurt him again. It was hide or be hurt._

 _Hide from the evil demon wolf. He had to hide. Hide, hide._

 _The world shifted again._

 _He yelled "Dragonzord!"_

 _Wordy yelled "Mastodon!"_

 _Jules yelled "Pterodactyl!"_

 _Spike yelled "Triceratops!"_

 _Lou yelled "Saber-Toothed Tiger!"_

 _Ed yelled "Tyrannosaurus!"_

 _Boss yelled "May the Power protect you."_

 _The evil wolf froze._

 _Red Ranger Ed ordered "Back off, fang-face!"_

 _Black Ranger Wordy exclaimed "The good guys are here!"_

 _Blue Ranger Spike demanded "Get off our planet!"_

 _Yellow Ranger Lou stated "'Cause we're the Power Rangers!"_

 _Pink Ranger Jules commanded "And we're not backing down!"_

 _Zordon Greg directed "Use extreme caution Rangers, you are dealing with an evil here that is beyond all imagination."_

 _The wolf grinned evilly and said "You're mine Green Ranger. You cannot get away from me. I will always have a hold over you!"_

 _Green Ranger Sam stated "I'm at the end, guys."_

 _Pink Ranger Jules bade "Sammy, don't say that."_

 _Green Ranger Sam whispered "My powers are almost gone. It's what my dreams have been telling me. It's what I've been feeling inside."_

 _Red Ranger Ed responded "Man, you've been through it before. You came back strong."_

 _Green Ranger Sam cried "Not this time. It's different. This time it's for good. The wolf had it in for me ever since the beginning. And he's closing in."_

 _The wolf bared its teeth and sank them deep into his throat drawing blood._

"NO!" Sam screamed and bolted upright in bed his hand flying to his neck. He breathed heavily in his panicked state trying to regain his self-control. He told himself 'it was only a dream'.

Jules was jerked awake as Sam sat up quickly causing her to nearly fall off the bed. Sam was shaking and drenched in sweat. It was clear he had a nightmare. After dredging everything up today it was to be expected. She scooted up and took him into her arms and whispered soothing words.

As Sam calmed Jules asked "Want to tell me about it?"

A shaky partial laugh was emitted from Sam. Jules pulled back and looked at him. There was an odd expression on his face. She waited.

Sam eased himself back down on the pillows. He stared at the ceiling. The dream had been funny with the team becoming Power Rangers yet it was very disturbing too. His throat was dry "Can you get me a glass of water please? Then I'll tell you about it."

Jules headed to the bathroom and filled the glass. She grabbed a washcloth and dampened it too. Sam drank the entire glass then she wiped his face with the cool rag. She set the empty glass and washcloth on the nightstand then laid down and cuddled against him. His arm wrapped around her holding her close.

Sam shared the dream with Jules as she held him. Jules stifled a chuckle when Sam described the team as Power Rangers because the dream was mostly distressing. When he was done she asked "Why do you see Dupont as a wolf?"

"I'm not exactly sure. It seems appropriate somehow. I don't know it's just …" he trailed off as an image started to form in his mind.

Jules shifted and studied his face when he quit speaking. He had a look of concentration, like he was trying to remember something.

Sam stated softly "Jules I remember something about him. He has a tattoo. It's on his left hip. It's only visible without clothes on. It's a large wolf's head with its teeth bared and dripping blood."

* * *

 _ **AN**_ _: Much of the Power Ranger dialog are quotes from various episodes of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993–1996)._


	15. Remedy, Uniforms, Suits & Men of Valour

**Remedy, Uniforms, Suits & Men of Valour**

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Kitchen**_

Yvonne, Laura, Jules, Sam, Spike and Mason were all seated at the table chatting and enjoying veggie and ham omelets, toast and coffee when the first hungover member of the family dragged into the kitchen.

Holding his head like it would explode he whispered to Yvonne "Remedy?"

Yvonne answered louder than necessary but still what most would consider normal conversation level "Too much bourbon last night dear?"

General Braddock winced at the sound. Why did she have to yell so loud? Hell he knew why. She was ticked at him for using alcohol to cope last night when the person most affected by all of this did not. He looked at his wife and then son regretting his over indulgence "A bit."

"Coffee, sprite, aspirin, bananas, pretzels, bottled water and sport drinks are on the counter over there. Pick your poison" Yvonne answered with a small smirk as she watched her husband meander over to the counter. By the time she was finished with them, all nine men with hangovers were going to wish they had not consumed so much last night. She had so many chores for them this morning in preparation for this afternoon's meeting.

Sam asked in a normal voice "How's the hand Sir?"

Again with the yelling the General thought as he poured coffee. He downed two aspirin with a can of sprite then put a banana and some pretzels on a plate and headed for the table. He sat down and then clenched and unclenched his fist gingerly "It's okay son."

Yvonne chimed in "Thought I told you not to break anything."

The General looked up and said defensively "I followed your orders."

"Hmmm. If that is so can you explain why the curio cabinet has no glass in it?" Yvonne asked politely.

The corners of his mouth twitched up and William said sheepishly "I obeyed your orders to the letter. You said not to break anything in the library. The curio is in my study."

Yvonne burst out laughing and was soon joined by everyone at the table. Everyone that is except the General, he was holding his head as the sounds of laughter banged around in his head making him wish he had stopped at three fingers of bourbon last night.

The remainder of the rag tag bunch of Braddocks wandered in over the next ten minutes and grabbed aspirin and combination of coffee, sprite, water or sports drinks and bananas and pretzels.

Laura finished off her breakfast and looked to Jules, Spike, Mason and Sam "You four ready for our little excursion to the mall?"

They all nodded. Laura turned to Yvonne and grinned "We'll be back in a few hours. I leave you in charge of this motley crew. If they give you any trouble let me know and I'll just call Dad."

Yvonne grinned and nodded as each of the men cringed even though they planned to do exactly as Yvonne asked them. A threat from Laura was terrifying, especially with her dad being their ultimate boss, the Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces.

* * *

 _ **Ottawa Airport – Arrivals**_

Scott, Mason, Mike Galloway and Drake were waiting just outside the arrivals gate. Mike held a sign that read Alnwick. Each of the four was decked out in their dress uniforms.

First step in the tactical plan was to send a formal delegation to meet Chief Alnwick and his party at the airport and provide them transportation. It would prevent any media getting wind of the proceedings. Given the number in their party the General had sent four cars.

Mason shifted and tugged at the collar of his shirt.

Drake saw and asked chuckling "Shirt too tight?"

Grumbling Mason gave him a knowing look and responded sarcastically "No, these buttons aren't liable to pop off. Unlike the one you got me in Kandahar."

Drake shrugged and continued to chuckle "What can I say, wasn't much choice big guy. Good for a laugh though. Poor Zach almost got a Sacrifice Medal that day. A half inch lower and he'd have lost an eye for sure."

Scott looked between the two Special Forces men and said "I probably don't want to know about that one." Then looking at Mason he asked "So if it's no too tight what's the problem?"

Mason tugged again on the neck and answered "I just can't stand the monkey suit. Prefer my normal uniform. Less conspicuous."

Mike laughed "Right there with you buddy. Always feel on display in this thing."

Scott grinned "Quite possibly because you are. That's an impressive array of fruit salad you two have on your chests. And Mason, how the hell do you think with your size, regardless of uniform that you are not noticeable?"

Mike muttered "Says the man with the same amount of fruit salad on his chest."

Mason choose to ignore Scott's comment. Yeah no matter what he wore he didn't go unnoticed. But wearing his dress uniform with all the ribbons and medals just made him more so and he was never really comfortable with that.

Peering over the heads of the arriving passengers Mason spotted the group just emerging, he pointed to them and said "Show time boys. They are coming this way."

Mike lifted the sign and smiled.

Scott and Drake squared their shoulders and came to parade rest.

Mason pulled himself upright and stood to his full intimidating height, squared his shoulders, pushed out his chest and assumed his frown. He searched out a single man in their group to spear with his hardened gaze.

Chief Alnwick led his party off the plane and began to scan for the reception committee General Braddock said would meet them upon arrival. His party had grown since his initial conversation with Deputy Chief Barnes. He and the General spoke last night and several last minute additions had been made.

Following him were the original planned attendees, Deputy Chief Barnes, Commander Holleran, Agent Caldwell, Detective Fulco, Detective Jackson and Johnathon Kaylock from PD Legal. Last night based on his and the General's discussion it now included Captain Brunello, Dr. Mallard, Justice Howard Christenson, Dupont's lawyer Elliot Blather and Harriet Rowan who was Justice Christenson's court clerk.

After reviewing all the evidence Chief Alnwick hoped that they could resolve the matter today. He spotted a man holding a placard with his name on it and headed in that direction.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Kitchen**_

Sam was shoving his lunch around on his plate not really interested in eating. He didn't want a repeat of yesterday afternoon. It would be embarrassing to throw up in front of the Chief of Police and everyone else that would be there.

Jules saw Sam still seated at the table. Everyone else had left the room to change. She pulled a few items from the cabinets and then put a mug in the microwave. When it dinged she pulled it out and walked over to Sam.

She set the mug in front of him "Know you don't want to eat much but at least have some broth. I can make some peppermint tea too. It will calm your stomach."

He looked up at her. God he loved this woman. Her new red dress was a strong statement; bold and powerful. Clearly stating Jules was a force to be reckoned with.

Sam gave her a quirky half smile half frown "You'd think I was facing a cell of terrorists with automatic weapons ready to mow me down with the way my stomach feels instead of the Police Chief. Seems rather weak to me."

Jules tilted her head and gave him a stern look "Not weak. Normal. Now drink the broth and eat a few crackers so you can take your pain meds. They will be here in about forty minutes."

Sam lifted the mug as instructed and took a sip. Jules smiled at him and asked "Tea?"

He answered "Yeah, that'd be good too. Who was at the door?"

Getting the tea out Jules responded "I think it was the General's lawyer Rudolph and Dale Gibbson. While Mason was helping you change before he left for the airport Royce Duffy, Anthony Cardillo and Theo Brock arrived. They are all in the Library." Jules was trying to get used to using their real names instead of their code names of Shakespeare, Shade and Hound. It wouldn't do to use those in today's meeting.

Waiting for the water to boil Jules took time to survey Sam. God he was handsome. During their shopping trip they had made a stop at the barber so he could get a haircut and shave. His hair was his normal length now; not too short, not too long, just perfect for brushing her fingers through.

Sam was dressed in his new suit, minus the jacket at the moment. The tailored suit fit him perfectly and accented his broad shoulders and tapered waist. He looked amazing in his sharp black suit with a crisp white linen shirt and deep red tie. His red tie matched the color of her dress. Laura had urged him to get a more subdued color tie but Sam insisted on the red one.

He liked that it matched her dress. Jules had agreed. It was a small and inconspicuous statement. They were together. They were partners. Whatever was coming they would face together.

As she poured the water over the tea bag Spike entered the kitchen. Both she and Sam looked at him and grinned as Spike spun in a slow circle and said "So … How do I look?"

One of the things Sam and the General had both asked for as part of the strategy, and they all agreed with, was to present themselves in a power position. The General explained that was the reason he requested all the Braddock men to bring their dress uniforms. Sam told them he did not want to appear weak or as a victim. Wearing sweats and shorts might be comfortable but didn't project the right image.

Spike, Jules and Sam only had casual clothes here with them and it would take too long to send for their dress clothes. So they had gone shopping this morning. Laura had taken great pleasure in helping them all select outfits today. She had great taste in fashion.

Jules headed to the table and gave Sam the tea then commented "Very Bond like Spike. You'd give 007 a run for his money with the ladies."

Spike's grin widened.

Sam countered seriously "No not Bond."

Spike's face fell a bit.

Grinning Sam continued "More like, like … What did you say that day outside the bank? Um, let's see. Got it! More like a sleek Italian stallion."

Spike's face split in an ear to ear smile and his eyes lit with amusement "Oh yeah! We definitely need a sleek Italian stallion to counteract all the muscular, he-man Braddocks."

Jules and Sam laughed as Spike strutted around the room in his new black suit. Jules loved the fact that Spike could get Sam to laugh. He was doing a fantastic job of it all morning and reducing Sam's tension level. Not to mention pain level reduction with all the endorphins that the laughter was releasing into their systems.

When Spike finally stopped and took a chair Jules smiled and said playfully "Bet Winnie would go out with you if you dressed like that and asked her out."

Jules had noticed that Spike noticed Winnie a lot. He tended to hang out at her desk longer than the rest of them. Spike was so shy a little nudge might be all he needed. So she planted the thought in his head. Perhaps it would grow and he would act on it someday.

Spike blushed at the mention of Winnie. He had to admit Jules had a point. He might just do that. Nah, someone as beautiful and awesome as Winnie would never be interested in a geek like him. But a little thought settled in the back of his head, he could at least dream.

* * *

 _ **Ottawa Airport – Arrivals**_

Chief Alnwick slowed as he approached the sign with his name on it held by an Army Captain. He noted that next to him stood a giant Army Master Warrant Officer, a Naval Chief Petty Officer and an Army Master Corporal.

He did a double take back to the Naval Officer. Why was Braddock in a Navy uniform? Then he realized the man looked very much alike but was not actually Sam Braddock. He appeared to be several years older. He went to introduce himself.

Captain Brunello felt decidedly uncomfortable under the heavy stare of that grizzly sized man. The scarred face only added to the menacing appearance. The man probably got those injuries in service. He was quite decorated given the number of ribbons and medals worn on his uniform. He wondered why the man had singled him out and glared at him. Brunello moved to the back of the group to put as much distance between him and the giant man as possible.

As they approached a name placard with Alnwick's name on it Elliot Blather could not take his eyes off the man holding it. It couldn't be him. There was no way in hell it was him. He had fallen off the face of the earth. No way had the party boy joined the Army. He was a rich society boy, good for nothing but partying; or so his older brother had told him all those years ago when he had partied with him.

Blather stared closely, no way it was him. Not Magic Mike as his brother called him. He saw the name tag, Galloway. Yeah it was him. He smiled, this was getting interesting. He would need to think on what kind of angle he could use here.

This case had been a godsend for his failing career. He was a media darling. Everyone was contacting him for interviews. He was leading the crusade to right a wrong against a poor defenseless citizen who was viciously attacked by an out of control police officer. And the police were covering for him. Blather would get justice for Dupont but more importantly he would make a name for himself along the way.

He had been a bit surprised though when he was asked to join the group meeting with Constable Braddock today. Braddock had yet to be arraigned although he kept pushing the judge's office hard to schedule it. The media attention was lagging a bit and he needed something to jump start it. He wondered why Justice Christenson was in attendance. It didn't make sense for the Justice to be present just to get Braddock's statement.

Blather's mind twisted and turned as he looked for a way to spin this strange development with the media. Maybe he could claim favoritism by allowing the officer to leave the jurisdiction and then coddling him by not making him return to the jurisdiction to give his statement. Yeah, he could garner many more TV appearances with that. The media would eat it up.

Now back to Magic Mike Blather thought, just what was he doing here? As they walked to the cars Blather got close to Mike "Hey, Magic Mike."

Galloway ignored him and kept walking.

Blather tried again reaching out to touch the Galloway's arm "Hey Mike. It's me Elliot. Harold's little brother."

Mike glanced at the man and the unwelcome hand on his arm. God he hated when someone from his past recognized him. By now not too many did. He chose to ignore Dupont's scumbag lawyer.

He remembered Harold Blather alright. A sycophant extraordinaire with a massive alcohol and drug problem. Harold was always scheming and even stole from his own parents to fuel his addiction; ripped off their entire retirement savings. When Harold bragged about it, he cut him out of the circle of sycophants. Mike wouldn't be surprised if Harold overdosed and died already.

Mike shrugged off the man's hand and continued walking.

Almost jogging to keep pace with Mike's long stride Blather blathered "Magic Mike, don't you remember me? I know I was a scrawny little kid then but you and Harold hung out all the time together. You fell off the earth. Never would have guessed in a million years you would have joined the Army. I mean with all your family's money and such. What are you doing here playing chauffeur. Piss off your CO partying too hard? You're paying a penance for that I bet."

Mike stopped, rounded on Blather and gave him a hard glare "My name is Captain Galloway to you sir."

"Oooo trying to scare me are you?" Blather said sarcastically as he wiggled his hands and fingers out in front of him.

Mike smirked seeing that underneath the bravado his simple statement and tone had actually scared the man. So he said "No sir just setting my name straight with you." Then he murmured quietly and deadly "If I wanted to scare you I wouldn't do it publicly." Mike turned and strode out of the airport without another word.

Blather stood still for a moment and watched Galloway walk away. He had felt an icy shiver run down his spine as Mike had glared at him. Definitely not the party boy his brother knew all those years ago. There was something deadly in those eyes; a man not to be crossed. He swallowed and hurried to catch up with the group.

Brunello looked at Blather "You know him?"

"My oldest brother did long ago. Harold used to party with him before he died of a drug overdose in some backwards country. He's Michael Galloway the heir apparent of one of the richest families in Canada. Always thought he had died too. He hasn't been in the society papers for ages; near two decades now. Wonder how he ended up in the Army?" Blather informed him.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – General's Study**_

Upon arriving the group was ushered into the General's Study. Scott said "Please wait here. I will inform the General you have arrived and he will be with you shortly."

Alnwick responded "Thank you."

Scott closed the door and hurried to the library to see if everything was set up.

In the study, which to anyone who knew the General's study had undergone a bit of transformation, the group milled about. On one wall were hung the photos or paintings of eight generations of Braddock men ending with Sam. They were all in some form of military dress. Under each were hung display boxes of honors they had received in service.

There were two photos of Sam. One of him in his Army dress uniform with all his ribbons and medals attached and wearing his tan beret and one of him in his SRU uniform.

Displayed prominently in a small glass case under his photos was his Cross of Valour and next to it was a smaller photo of Sam shaking hands with the Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces as he received the honor. Below that was a framed list on official stationery of all the 'recognized' honors Sam had received.

Detective Fulco was the last of the group to take an up close look at the wall. He whistled low as he read out loud the entire list of awards, medals and honors bestowed upon Sam.

Then Fulco stated "Wow, just wow. A Cross of Valour and how many Sacrifice Medals was that? Wow! How does one man achieve all of that? I knew he was a good police officer when he reported Snow and the others to Internal Investigations and worked with us to bring them down. But just wow."

Blather gave him a curious look. What the hell was that comment about? Who the hell was Snow? When had Braddock worked with Internal Investigations? He filed those questions in the back of his mind to ask later. He didn't like the sound of admiration in Detective Fulco's voice. He thought Internal Investigations was here to throw the book so to speak at Braddock.

Detective Sally Jackson said softly in awe as she continued to stare at the wall "Men of Valour every last one of them. So much service and sacrifice from one family."

Blather didn't like the look on Detective Jackson's face nor her words. It was a mix of respect, astonishment and sadness. Why was someone from Specialized Criminal Investigations Unit even here? Aggravated assault was not something that department would typically be involved in.

Holleran smiled as he looked around the room. When he entered he headed over to his favorite wing back leather chair and sat down observing the others. William and most likely Yvonne had out done themselves. This was impressive. Braddock's were honorable but humble men. They did not display their honors. They were kept tucked away in the safe.

He could see that William was definitely trying to make a statement. It was heard loud and clear by the looks on the faces in the room. Well almost everyone got it, Fulco and Jackson certainly did by their comments.

However, Captain Brunello while he was a bit awestruck he still maintained an air of defiance. He supposed this might look to him like privilege and Sam was hiding behind it. Just as he thought Sam was hiding behind the blue wall of silence. He couldn't wait to see his expression change when facts were revealed.

The other who didn't get it was Dupont's idiot lawyer Elliot Blather. He wasn't sure what he read in the man's eyes. But they were calculating something. He was probably trying to figure out a new angle to take to get more media time.

The blithering idiot Blather was going to be sadly disappointed that would not happen. Holleran couldn't wait to see what the Braddock's next tactic was in their strategy. So far so good he thought.

The door opened and General Braddock strode in with the carriage of a General and an air of authority about him. He looked over the assembled group and singled out the Chief of Police by Scott's description.

He put out his hand to the man "Chief Alnwick, General William Braddock. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." He shook the man's hand firmly.

Alnwick returned a firm grip and answered "Likewise General Braddock. Wish it was under different circumstances though." Alnwick then began to make the introductions.

When he came to Holleran the General interrupted Alnwick and said "Norm, long time. We need to really try to meet more often than when Samuel is injured on the job."

Holleran gave him a curt nod "Yes we should Will. How are Sam and my other officers faring?"

"As well as can be expected" the General answered not giving details.

Blather pointed between the two men "You two know each other?" His wheels were spinning. Is this another angle he could use?

The General turned and his eyes went from friendly to icy in a split second. He queried icily already knowing the answer "And you are?"

"Elliot Blather, Esquire. I am Gaston Dupont's lawyer" Blather stated pulling himself up and puffing out his chest.

The General thought Christ the man is an idiot, he doesn't even know who his client really is. But he simply nodded and went on to meet the remaining people in the room. The last one he met was Captain Brunello. Upon shaking hands Brunello said "You didn't answer Mr. Blather's question."

The General turned his eyes to ice again. Their hands were still clasped and the General applied strong pressure as he replied "You are the one that ordered Samuel handcuffed are you not?"

Pulling his hand away from the bruising handshake and flexing the fingers a bit he answered "Yes I did. Protocol given the violence of the attack." Brunello didn't realize the General still hadn't answered the question.

The General turned towards Justice Christenson and Chief Alnwick addressing his comments to them. "Thank you for agreeing to hold the arraignment in my home. Travel is difficult for Samuel at the moment. We all understandably want to get this over with. If you will wait here a moment I will see that everything has been prepared."

Alnwick replied "Yes of course. Thank you for opening your home for this purpose. It is in everyone's best interest to handle this as quickly as possible."

When the door closed after the General left Blather turned to Justice Christenson and complained "The arraignment was supposed to take place at the court house. I am not prepared. I was not given notice. This is unacceptable. It must take place at the courthouse."

Justice Christenson looked at the blathering man "Notice of change of venue was sent to your office last evening Sir. You must have received it to show up at the airport as you did today. The arraignment can and will take place in any setting I deem appropriate. As to you being prepared, you have been hounding my office for days to schedule it. You have filed your client's sworn statements. That is all you need for an arraignment."

Christenson turned to the legal representative from the police department "Mr. Kaylock I presume you were notified last evening and have your paperwork and evidence in order?"

Johnathon Kaylock responded "Yes Your Honor I was and I do. I am prepared to present my case and evidence today. I see no reason that it cannot proceed here and now."

Blather was furious and trying to control his emotions. Here there would be no publicity. He had planned to have the media there as they entered the courthouse. He was going to parade poor Gaston in a wheelchair for photo ops.

Then afterwards when the decision would be that the officer would be held over for trial he would give another press conference. Dammit, all that was gone now. His mind started trying to think of a way to salvage this and still get the media attention he deserved.

* * *

 _ **AN:** Sacrifice Medal in Canada is equivalent to U.S. Purple Heart._


	16. Crown Attny, Behave, Surprise & FollowMe

**Crown Attorney, Behave, Surprise & Follow Me Please  
**

* * *

 _ **Taxi Almost to Braddock's Home**_

This day had started out to be such a nice day Isaac Glover thought. This morning the accused in his last case plead guilty at the last minute and he was spared having to go to trial. It made his day because he really did not want to view the pictures of those murdered children again.

But the powers that be sought to turn what had the promise of being a good day into shit.

Last night as he and his friend Leo were having beers and watching the game they discussed all the media hype around this case. Leo was pissed and emphatically denied that Constable Braddock would have done something like that. He had declared that no way did the guy have PTSD.

He had asked how Leo would know because apparently there had to be some merit or the Crown Attorney in Toronto would not have filed charges. It was then that Leo shared with him a painful part of his past. At first he could not believe his always positive friend could ever be in that state. But when Leo finished telling his story he understood.

Isaac had never known how Leo lost his eyesight. When he had met him at the local Timmy's when he bumped into the man and yelled at him for not watching where he was going he had been mortified by his actions when he saw the white cane with the red tip. The man was blind. But Leo Patel had just laughed and apologized that his sniper senses failed him.

That had been the start of a good friendship. They often met in that Timmy's over lunch to discuss Leo's latest book. He was an up and coming author of military action fiction.

His Special Forces background allowed him to weave some very interesting tales. He had confided once that he drew inspiration from the men he had served with, those who had helped him when he made the transition to civilian life and some he never got to work with but had known through others.

So last night when Leo declared that Sam Braddock was innocent of what he was being charged with he asked why he was so sure. That is how he learned how he lost his sight. He also learned how despondent Leo had become when all he had ever known was ripped from him. Then Leo told him that his main character and hero in his novels was modeled after the man who saved his life, Sam Braddock. Then he explained exactly how Braddock had saved his life.

He valued his friendship with Leo. Would Leo be mad at him for what he had to do today? Would he understand he had a job to do and had no choice in the matter? God he hoped so.

Isaac flipped open the file titled _Crown v Braddock_ again and he growled as he read the contents again. Didn't take long, there was little detail. He wondered how the hell this passed muster of the Crown Attorney Offices in Toronto. He would never find out. The two men responsible for filing it were dead.

That's how his day just went down the toilet. His boss got a call around ten am from the Toronto Crown Attorney Office. Apparently the Crown Attorney was driving the Assistant Crown Attorney that filed this case to the airport when their car was t-boned at an intersection.

Based on witness statements the eighty-five year old driver apparently hit the gas instead of the brake and ran a red light. The driver was killed on impact. Both attorneys were also killed instantly when their car was pushed in front of an oncoming semi-truck.

The Toronto office was frantically looking for a replacement Assistant Crown Attorney in Ottawa. They needed one to take over the case because the preliminary hearing was this afternoon and being held in Ottawa instead of Toronto.

His boss had smiled when he dropped the file on his desk and said "Since you're no longer needed on the Norris case you get the pleasure of taking over this one."

Pleasure my ass Isaac thought. His boss then told him when and where to be. It was a bit odd to be doing the hearing in a home but he understood the accused was unable to travel to Toronto and the arraignment could not wait any longer. A change in venue from Toronto to Ottawa was needed too. So much media attention and coverage in Toronto would have made it difficult for the man to get a fair hearing or trial.

Isaac Glover growled again and noticed that the cabbie looked at him warily. He slammed the file closed. The wheels were in motion and there was nothing he could do but do his job with what he had. When he arrived Isaac would seek out Mr. Blather who was legal counsel for and representing the victim.

Blather was involved because Dupont was likely going after financial compensation for the injuries he sustained in the assault. He hoped that Blather had more details than were in Jacob Sundqvist's filings. He hated to think ill of the dead but just what the hell was Mr. Sundqvist doing filing charges with the scant amount of information this file contained?

In his mind it didn't merit being called evidence. It contained the victim's statement and a few bystanders' accounts leading up to the incident. But no statements beyond that had been included. A few photos of the victim's injuries were included in the file, he was pretty messed up. There was a video but he had not been able to watch it yet.

It was shoddy investigative work at best and gross incompetence at most. But it was what he had to work with at the moment.

As the taxi pulled up to the General's home Isaac had a bad feeling. He did not want this case but his boss assigned it to him so he would do the best with what he was given. He did not want his boss to think he was shirking his duties especially if he wanted to keep his job and move up at some point.

He paid the cabbie and included a larger tip than normal as recompense for making the cabbie feel uneasy with all his growling. Isaac approached the door and rang the bell. He checked his watch. He arrived with about fifteen minutes to spare. He would inform Justice Christenson he was here then meet with Mr. Blather.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Sam's Room**_

Sam finished throwing up. Jules handed him water. Sam rinsed then said acerbically "So much for peppermint tea settling my stomach."

Jules wiped his face with a cool rag "Well you got it out of your system now. You'll be fine for the hearing."

"God I hope so. Going to be embarrassing enough as it is" Sam bit out bitterly.

Jules looked at him. His mood had deteriorated dramatically as the time for the hearing approached. She kept a positive note to her voice as she told him "I know so and there is nothing for you to be embarrassed about. You were eleven and did the best you could to protect yourself. If Logan had succeeded in what he wanted to do would you expect me to be embarrassed by what he did without my consent?"

Sam shook his head no.

Jules continued "Alright then, same goes for you. Now, how bout I head out and let Mason give you a hand to the restroom. It's gonna be a long afternoon."

Then she looked at Mason and smiled "Lizzy said he could keep his arm out of the sling if he promises not to move it too much."

Sam glared at her and said in a surly tone "He is right here and could have told Mason that."

Unfazed by his temper she kissed his cheek and said "Behave Braddock. See you in the library in a few minutes. I have a little surprise for you."

Sam looked at her. Surprise? What kind of surprise would she have for him right now? She closed the door on her way out.

Mason said "Shall we Sunshine?"

Sam ground out "God I hate this Gorgeous!"

Lifting him Mason softly said "I know but it won't be much longer. You get to start rehab on the legs tomorrow. Lizzy will have you up and walking under your own power soon."

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Library**_

Jules walked into the library and smiled; amazing transformation. It looked like a mini court room. Yvonne and the guys had moved all the normal furniture out, except for a few chairs.

At one end sat a table for the judge and the court clerk. There was a chair for witnesses off to the left of the judge. Off to the right side Yvonne had put the most comfortable wing back chair with an ottoman for the accused section. That's where Sam would be sitting. Next to it she placed the oversized chair for Mason. There were two tables with chairs positioned for the prosecution and defense counsels to sit at. Behind those were rows of folding chairs for everyone else to sit.

Kyle and Spike had set up all the electronics. They had mics for recording. Spike even set up a large screen TV hooked to a laptop to display whatever evidence needed to be displayed.

Jules saw part of her surprise and smiled. She announced to the room "Sam will be joining us in just a few minutes."

Mike entered just after her and informed the General "The Crown Attorney from the Ottawa office arrived about ten minutes ago Sir. I put him in the study with the others."

General Braddock looked to Mike "Good. Thank you. When Samuel is settled in the seat I'll have you get them from the study."

Mike responded "Yes Sir."

The General then looked at Drake "I need you to go stay with our special guest in the other room and send Adam back."

Drake answered "Yes Sir."

Mason wheeled Sam into the room. He was fully dressed with his jacket on and his arm out of the sling. Mason stopped just inside the room. Sam looked back up at him wondering why he stopped. He saw a huge grin on Mason's face. Sam followed his gaze.

Sam was floored and speechless.

"Hey kid. Didn't think I'd let you face this without me did you?" Blaze stated as he strode forward bent down and embraced him for a good minute.

"Blondie, we've always got your six" Winds said as he came forward and hugged him as soon as Blaze released him.

Jim's voice choked with emotion as he tapped his heart several times "No matter what, you are always right here brother. Right here." Then he hugged Sam too and whispered what Jules asked him to say "Saber-Toothed Tiger!"

"You don't have to fight alone. We are here for you" Spike said aloud as he hugged Sam then grinned widely as he whispered in his ear "Triceratops!"

"There's no place I'd rather be Samo" Ed stated as he squeezed Sam's good shoulder. Leaning close one eyebrow cocked up and he whispered "Tyrannosaurus!"

Clasping Sam's hand Wordy stated "Always here for you buddy. Always" then he pulled him into a hug too and whispered a bit confused "Mastodon!"

Jules leaned down "We all know you can do this. We are here to keep you strong." Then she whispered with power and a hint of humor "Pterodactyl!"

Greg stepped forward and embraced him "We are family. We are stronger together. We fight together." Then with a twinkle in his eye and a smile he whispered "It's mighty morphin' time!"

Then his father leaned in close and whispered for Samuel's ears only "You're gonna have to fill us in later but Jules said you would know what this means. May the Power protect you!" He drew back and gave Samuel a gentle smile.

Sam gave them a lopsided grin. He had no words for the outpouring of support. And Jules, god that woman was his salvation. This was going to be hard but as he scanned the faces of all his biological and chosen family members and good friends he knew he did not have to face it alone.

A little shaky with emotion Sam finally said "Thanks everyone. This means a lot to me. Thanks."

The General cleared his throat to remove the emotional lump that had formed watching Samuel's reaction to the support he was receiving. "Shall we get this show on the road?"

Mason pushed Sam's wheelchair to the comfortable chair and then transferred him. He folded the wheelchair and placed it out of sight. Jules bent down and helped Sam adjust his suit and making sure his tie was straight. Yvonne moved the ottoman into place and gently lifted his leg onto it. Laura tucked a small pillow on his left side to help support his left arm.

The Braddock clan starting with Yvonne then the General, followed by the uncles then cousins with Laura lined up to Sam's right.

To his left Team One lined up starting with Jules, then Greg, Ed, Spike, and Wordy followed by Gibbson and Rudolph.

Behind Sam stood Blaze, Winds, Jim, Mason, Hound, Shade, and Shakespeare.

General Braddock said "Mike, it's time."

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – General's Study**_

Blather was pacing. What the hell was taking so long? How dare they keep him and all these people waiting? His mind was whirring trying to decide how he could take advantage of this situation.

He had pulled out the notice and reviewed it. Sure enough it said the arraignment would be here today but he had missed it. His mind had been too focused on his next media blitz last night when it arrived. Damn.

Then he also just realized Jacob Sundqvist was missing. Where was the Assistant Crown Attorney? He was depending on the man making the case. Once it Braddock was held over for trial then he could begin filing the civil suits for compensation. From the looks of things he was going to be making a huge sum of money from all this. With all the media attention too he was going to garner more and more high profit clients.

But only if Sundqvist showed up. He had lucked out that the Assistant Crown Attorney was so interested in taking the case. Sundqvist only ever said that revenge was best served cold and this would be ice cold and as unexpected as getting jumped in a shower. Then he had smiled.

Blather didn't really understand nor care about the attorney's motives so long as Sundqvist allowed him to be the face in the media. Sundqvist seemed to like that idea too. He said something about not wanting to draw attention to himself in this case or to dig into his past. Sundqvist was more than happy to let him do the media dance.

The door opened and Blather saw a tall, athletic black man wearing a gray suit enter the room. He watched as Galloway introduced him to Justice Christenson . The two men spoke for a moment and then he saw Justice Christenson point him out to the man. The man strode over to him.

"Mr. Blather I presume?" Isaac Glover asked.

Blather took the proffered hand and shook it "Yes. And you are?"

"Assistant Crown Attorney Isaac Glover from the Ottawa office. I will be taking over for Assistant Crown Attorney Sundqvist" Glover stated.

Blather looked confused and worried at the same time "Why is that?"

With a look one wears when offering condolences Isaac explained "I'm sorry to inform you that ACA Sundqvist passed away this morning. He was killed in a car accident on the way to the airport this morning. The Toronto office arranged for me to take over."

Holding up the thin file Glover asked "If you have a moment I'd like to speak to you about the case. My file seems to be a little light on details and I was hoping you could provide some additional information."

Blather nodded absently as his mind reeled. Were his plans unraveling? What the hell was he going to do now? The two moved off to a corner of the room near the wall of valour.

Isaac took a moment to look at the wall. His eyes widened when they landed on the Cross of Valour below Constable Braddock's dual photos.

His bad feeling increased one thousand fold as he recalled Leo's words from last night. _"Sam Braddock is an honorable man. He has served the citizens of this country well and sacrificed more than will ever be known publicly. He does not deserve to be vilified in the media like this. When the truth finally comes out people will feel ashamed and if they don't they should."_

Glover took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He had a job to do whether he liked it or not. So he began asking Blather questions trying to get a better handle on the details of the case.

Chief Alnwick took a seat in a chair next to Holleran who appeared relaxed and almost at home in the room. The Chief said quietly so the others did not overhear "So Norm, how long have you known General Braddock?"

Norm shifted to look directly at the Chief. Using the same quiet tone he answered "Since we were teens."

Alnwick grimaced "That long huh."

Norm just nodded.

"So any idea what he might do regarding the blue wall issue?" Alnwick asked.

Norm just shook his head no.

Alnwick thought damn as he looked again to the wall of valour.

The door opened and Captain Galloway stepped in "If you will please follow me everything is in order to begin." The group followed him out with Chief Alnwick and Justice Christenson in the lead.

* * *

 _ **AN:**_ _Arraignment coming in next chapter. I had to fix a huge plot hole with this chapter. I just realized Blather is only a lawyer. He cannot bring criminal charges against Sam. It requires the Crown Attorney Office to do that. So I had to fix that. Oatmeal Raisin Walnut cookies to anyone who remembers who Jacob Sundqvist is (hint he is in Baby Steps – 51_ _st_ _Division)._


	17. Preliminary Hearing: Crown v Braddock

**Preliminary Hearing: Crown v Braddock  
**

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Library**_

Mike opened the doors and then stood aside as Chief Alnwick and Justice Christenson entered first quickly followed by the others. The entire group came to a dead stop as they saw the impressive wall of support around Constable Braddock.

Harriet Rowan's eyes widened in astonishment at the gathering of men in Army, Navy and Air Force uniforms. They were of varying ages but clearly had familial ties. If possible they widened more as she took in the other military men standing behind Constable Braddock. Her eyes then landed on the men to the left in suits. Imposing did not begin to describe this sight.

Harriet's eyes finally landed on the two women in red standing right next to Constable Braddock. Of them all they looked to be the most intimidating. There was fire that flashed in the brown eyes and green eyes of the women. Each stood ramrod straight in a mode that bespoke their willingness to protect if provoked. Harriet drew in a steadying breath. She would _never_ want to clash with those two women.

Ms. Rowan voiced her thoughts out loud and they echoed the sentiments of the group that just entered "Oh My God! I've never seen the likes of that. Oh my god."

Justice Christenson pulled himself together quickly. He thought damned intelligent man when he looked at General Braddock; arranging a home field advantage, controlling the environment, and establishing their power position. This was one man you would not want to piss off he thought. He smiled inwardly and thought this should be interesting.

The Justice strode to the area that was set up for his position. Moving behind the table and standing in front of the chair provided he cleared his throat. "Counsel, please take your places. Ms. Rowan I believe you have been provided a place here." He motioned to the chair near him. "Please set up so we can begin."

The lawyers moved to the appropriate tables and pulled out their paperwork. Harriet moved forward and set up her laptop and removed the file folders from her briefcase. Holleran and the remaining members of the group found chairs in the rows provided but remained standing for the moment.

Harriet thought whoever set up the electronics in this room did a great job. All she had to do was plug a few cables into her laptop and she would be all set to capture a recording of the proceedings and display any evidence on the large screen they had provided. When she was done Harriett spoke to the Justice "Your Honor I am ready."

Justice Christenson sat, opened the file in front of him and voiced with authority "We have gathered regarding Crown v Braddock. Constable Samuel W. Braddock has been charged with Aggravated Assault which is an indictable offence with a maximum penalty of fourteen years in prison. This is a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is a prima facie case sufficient to warrant trial."

Blather had gathered himself rather quickly after being shocked by the display. He felt he could use that as further evidence of cover up. He was almost giddy waiting to get started. He mostly tuned out all the required verbiage to get the arraignment started. He was imagining the media hubbub he could generate from this turn of events.

He tuned back in as Justice Christenson said "We will conduct this hearing according to rules of order. However, I will allow some leeway given the complexity of this situation."

Blather looked at the Justice confused. What complexity? It was open and shut. The cop attacked unprovoked and nearly killed the man. Well that was overstatement he knew but it worked to rile the media.

Continuing Christenson stated "The first order of change is that typically offences levied against police officers require a closed hearing. However I will allow the assembled public to stay as no orders have been filed by either the prosecution or defense to exclude the public. The defense counsel had filed an order requesting to have an accounting of who is in attendance and their purpose for attending the proceedings. They have also filed an order requesting all witnesses be sequestered in another room until called to testify."

Looking at Dale Gibbson he said "To what purpose have you requested these orders Mr. Gibbson?"

Dale explained "Your Honor, there is an internal matter for the Toronto Metro Police Department to address with regard to this case. Allegations made within the media that have prompted investigations by Toronto Metro PD Internal Investigations and the independent civilian organization Special Investigations Unit. Both wish to have full disclosure of those in attendance and ensure no cross pollination of witness accounts in order to properly handle the internal matters. Additionally, there is an ongoing criminal investigation by the Toronto Specialized Criminal Investigations Unit which may rely on statements made in this hearing."

Justice Christenson considered the request then asked "Mr. Gibbson can you elaborate on the nature of both investigations?"

"Your Honor, in the first matter I can state that they are investigating allegations stemming from claims that Constable Braddock is hiding behind the so called blue wall of silence. Their goal is to ensure a fair accounting and address the matter appropriately depending on the outcome of the investigation. As for the nature of the criminal investigation by the Toronto Specialized Criminal Investigations Unit they are still in the evidence gathering mode and as such are not at liberty to disclose the subject of their investigation as it may taint evidence presented here today" Gibbson related.

After a few moments thinking on the requests and reasons Justice Christenson replied "The court approves both orders."

He then continued "The court has also enlisted the services of Captain Galloway, Master Corporal Drake and Master Warrant Officer Srònaich'O'Naoimhín to act as bailiffs for these proceedings. Master Corporal Drake shall be in charge of the sequestered witnesses. Captain Galloway will convey the witnesses as called. Master Warrant Officer Srònaich'O'Naoimhín shall be in charge of the accused." Justice Christenson was pleased with himself for pronouncing the Master Warrant Officer's name correctly.

"We will begin with the accounting of those present for this hearing. Please state your title, name, role or relationship to the accused if you are an observer. I will start, followed by my clerk, counsel, accused, witnesses, those here in an official capacity and finally observers. If you are a witness after you have announced yourself please join the Captain at the back of the room and wait. He will escort you to the sequestered room once all have been announced. All others please take a seat after announcing yourself" the Justice instructed.

He cleared his throat and spoke with authority "For the record I am Justice Howard Christenson and I will preside over these proceedings and make summary judgement upon the conclusion whether prima facie provides sufficient corroborating evidence to require the accused to stand trial on this charge or any other indictable offence arising out of the same transaction." The judge nodded to his clerk.

"Madam Harriet Rowan, Court Clerk."

"Assistant Crown Attorney Isaac Glover, Ottawa Crown Attorney Office, Crown Attorney for prosecution."

Isaac Glover then added "Your Honor for the record I must to inform the court that I have assumed the Crown Attorney in this case only three hours ago. Unfortunately ACA Jacob Sundqvist was killed this morning in a car accident. I have reviewed the case file but have not had the opportunity to view some of the evidence." He thought what little there was of it.

General Braddock's head shot up at the name Jacob Sundqvist. He wondered if it was the same little shit that had been part of the six boys that jumped Samuel in the high school gym shower when he was sixteen. They had beaten him so badly and if not for Officer Fergus and Bella, Samuel would have died of exposure that winter night.

He had been beyond furious back then that the three boys that were sixteen and seventeen were tried as juveniles. They were only held until their eighteenth birthday then released and their records sealed. They should have been sentenced to fourteen years like the other three who were eighteen. Hmph, those three would have just been released two years ago. It was sad that they ruined their lives with poor choices.

Then Glover continued "I understand the need for expediency in this matter. I do not wish to request a continuance at this time if the court will allow some latitude. I have discussed the matter with Mr. Blather and he is amenable to my request. He is quite familiar with the evidence in this case. With the court's permission Mr. Blather will be presenting the Crown's evidence."

Justice Christenson responded "Mr. Glover, given the extenuating circumstances the court will allow your request. Mr. Blather you shall be considered acting Crown Attorney and Mr. Glover shall become second chair counsel for the prosecution."

Isaac answered "Thank you Your Honor." He sat down and silently thought that he had somehow just dodged a career killing bullet. Thank god the justice had not only approved his request but actually made Blather the acting Crown Attorney.

Harriet pointed to Mr. Blather to announce himself given the change in prosecution counsel.

"Mr. Elliot Blather, Esquire, Counsel for the victim Mr. Dupont, Acting Crown Attorney."

Harriet asked "For the record Mr. Blather I need Mr. Dupont's full name, occupation and place of employment."

Blather huffed, damn details, he hated them. He gruffed "Mr. Gaston Dupont, Head of Security at St. Simons Hospital."

Ms. Rowan then pointed to Mr. Gibbson to continue the introductions.

"Mr. Dale Gibbon, Esquire. Lead counsel for defense representing Constable Samuel William Braddock."

"Mr. Kingsley Randolph, Esquire. Second chair counsel for defense."

"Johnathon Kaylock, Esquire. Counsel for the Toronto Metro Police Department."

"Constable Samuel William Braddock, Toronto Metro Police Department, Strategic Response Unit, Team One, accused."

Sam was surprised at the change in counsel. The name of the dead lawyer sounded familiar to him but he could not quite place it. Blather looked like a preening peacock at being named acting Crown Attorney. He shifted in his seat to try and alleviate the pain in and pressure on his leg. In doing so he knocked his left arm a bit and had to stifle a hiss of pain. He felt his mother's eyes upon him.

He looked up into her caring green eyes. She slowly mouthed 'are you in a lot of pain?'

Sam shook his head slightly. His mom placed her hand on the back of his neck and lightly caressed it. He could tell she didn't believe him and technically he had not lied to her. It all depended on ones definition of a lot of pain. Justifying to himself he recalled that many times before he had been in a lot more pain than he was in now. Sam relaxed into the soft caresses of his mother, it helped reduce the pain.

"General William Arthur Braddock, Canadian Armed Forces, Army, Commander of Special Forces, defense witness."

"Constable Michelangelo Scarlatti, Toronto Metro Police Department, Strategic Response Unit, Team One, defense witness."

"Chief Warrant Officer Theo Brock, Canadian Armed Forces, Army, Special Forces JTF2, defense witness."

"Retired Master Corporal Royce Duffy, Instructor at Braymount Preparatory Academy for Boys, defense witness."

"Retired Major Anthony Cardillo, defense witness."

"Dr. Rupert Mallard, Surgery Staff, St. Simons Hospital, defense witness"

Blather shifted uncomfortably and thought what the hell? Who are all these defense witnesses? Why the hell would a doctor be a witness?

Glover flipped open the file and looked at the witness list. None of those names were listed. In fact the only defense witnesses were listed were General Braddock and Constable Scarlatti. He saw both Blather and Brunello shift uncomfortably in their chairs. His oh shit meter was getting rather high now. This definitely was not good. He wondered at the investigation being conducted by the Specialized Criminal Investigations Unit.

"Sergeant Gregory Dean Parker, Toronto Metro Police Department, Strategic Response Unit, Team One Sergeant, defense witness."

"Constable Edward Tucker Lane, Toronto Metro Police Department, Strategic Response Unit, Team One Team Leader, defense witness."

"Constable Kevin Wordsworth, Toronto Metro Police Department, Strategic Response Unit, Team One, defense witness."

Blather began to wring his hands. Who the hell are all these witnesses? What had he missed in his quest for media attention? What the hell was going on here? He began to sweat. Blather wiped his brow. Just how many more witnesses were there? And to what?

He flipped open his thin file folder and perused the facts he had. He had Dupont's statement of what occurred. He had witness statements from some of the people in the physical therapy department when the argument broke out and when Dupont enter. He didn't have statements from General Braddock or Scarlatti. Sundqvist would have those but he never got a copy of them from him. What could all these people be witnesses for?

"Chief of Police Montgomery Alnwick, Toronto Metro Police Department."

"Deputy Chief Shamus Barnes, Toronto Metro Police Department."

"Commander Norman Holleran, Toronto Metro Police Department, SRU Commander. Godfather to Samuel Braddock."

Kaylock, Alnwick, Barnes and Brunello and several others all turned to stare at Commander Holleran stunned by this information. The man was Braddock's godfather?

Brunello just smiled and thought yep, just another nail in Braddock's coffin. His godfather would cover his ass for sure. The blue wall of silence went to the highest level in SRU. He couldn't wait to see them taken down by Internal Investigations and SIU. There was nothing he hated more than the blue wall of silence.

Silently and independently not knowing the other was doing so Kaylock and Alnwick mentally reviewed Braddock's SRU record. Each had read his file multiple times preparing for this. There were no ignored or expunged reprimands from his Sergeant nor complaints from the public. Both came to the conclusion that they could not remember any incidence of nepotism or favoritism showed to Braddock by Holleran.

"Constable Julianna Callaghan, Toronto Metro Police Department, Strategic Response Unit, Team One, teammate."

A small rebellious part of Jules wanted to blurt out girlfriend and damn the consequences. But with all the brass in the room they could kiss being on the same team good bye if she did. So she reined in the desire to publicly acknowledge their relationship. Jules settled for lightly patting his back then walking over to take a seat for those observing.

"Captain Rodrigo Brunello, Toronto Metro Police Department, Arresting Officer."

Brunello's eyes rested on the Major with the jet black hair standing directly behind Constable Braddock like some avenging angel. He was glowering at him. Brunello actually felt more threatened by the stare of the Major that the big man's stare. There was something lethal communicated to him via the Major's eyes. They burned into him and he had to look away.

"Detective Sally Jackson, Toronto Metro Police Department, Specialized Criminal Investigations Unit."

"Detective Anthony Fulco, Toronto Metro Police Department, Internal Investigations."

"Agent Scott Caldwell, Head of Special Investigations Unit."

"Mrs. Yvonne Loving-Braddock, mother."

Blather looked up at that name and watched closely as the refined looking woman bent down and bestowed a kiss to Constable Braddock's cheek before going to take a seat with the observers. No way is Braddock's mother a Loving? Christ is that Lady Yvonne Loving one of the heiresses to the Loving fortune?

Holy crap! Belatedly he was starting to realize he might just be in over his head here, especially with the wall of Braddock men glaring at him too. He thought with their money and power they could simply make him disappear and no one would ask questions.

"Colonel Mark Arthur Braddock, Canadian Armed Forces, Army, Canadian Joint Operations, uncle."

"Commodore Erik Arthur Braddock, Canadian Armed Forces, Navy, Atlantic Fleet Operations, uncle."

"Colonel Ryan Arthur Braddock, Canadian Armed Forces, Air Force, Aerospace Control and Warning Operations, uncle."

"Chief Petty Officer Scott Erik Braddock, Canadian Armed Forces, Navy, Intelligence Operations, cousin."

"Mrs. Laura Ann McFergus-Braddock, cousin by marriage."

Holy shit I'm dead Blather thought. Could she be related to the Commander-in-Chief James McFergus? If so you could get no more powerful than McFergus. As Commander-in-Chief he was effectively the Queen's representative. Aw hell just what did he get himself into? He nervously reached for the glass of water on his table. He checked to make sure no one saw it shake as he picked it up. That's when he saw Magic Mike smirking at him. He set the water down.

Blather needed to get it together and quickly he told himself. When this was all proven he would be just fine. Braddock was clearly guilty. They would just have to accept that one of their own had committed a heinous crime. When this was over he could add that he played the part of Crown Attorney to his resume. That would get him some very high profile clients in the future. He took a few deep breaths to relax and center himself.

"Master Warrant Officer Adam Ryan Braddock, Canadian Armed Forces, Air Force, Tactical Fighter Instructor, cousin."

"Master Warrant Officer Jeffery Mark Braddock, Canadian Armed Forces, Army, Special Forces Training Instructor, cousin."

"Master Corporal Zachary Ryan Braddock, Canadian Armed Forces, Air Force, Special Forces JTF2 Pilot, cousin."

"Master Seaman, Kyle Erik Braddock, Canadian Armed Forces, Navy, Intelligence Operator, cousin."

"Captain Michael Galloway, Canadian Armed Forces, Army, Special Forces General Braddock's Security Lead, friend."

"Major Donald Blain, Canadian Armed Forces, Army, Special Forces JTF2, former JTF2 CO and friend."

"Master Warrant Officer Nathan Simons, Canadian Armed Forces, Army, Special Forces JTF2, former JTF2 mate and friend."

"Senior Paramedic, Jim Shea, Toronto Emergency Medical Services, former JTF2 mate and friend."

"Master Warrant Officer Murchadh-Ailpein Srònaich'O'Naoimhín, Mason for short, Canadian Armed Forces, Army, Special Forces JTF2, former JTF2 mate and friend."

Brunello felt very uneasy under the glare of four men he now knew to be former unit mates of Braddock. Ever since he entered the room their eyes had followed him. The glare made sense now. They were friends of Braddock and were probably pissed that his shoulder got dislocated because of the cuffs he ordered. They would just have to understand it was not his fault. He was just following protocol. But he was glad he selected a chair as far away from them as possible in this room.

The Justice looked out at all the seated people and the standing witnesses in the back of the room. Jesus that was grueling. So many titles, so many men trained to kill. There was a plethora of testosterone in this room. He certainly hoped that no one was armed based on some of the glares he saw the Braddock's and Special Forces men throw at Blather and Brunello. Christ this should be interesting.

Justice Christenson called the hearing to order then requested that Ms. Rowan swear in all the witnesses en masse to save time later in the proceedings. After they were sworn in the witnesses followed Captain Galloway out of the room. When Mike returned from escorting the witness to the family room he closed the library doors and stood at parade rest next to them.

The Justice waited until Mike returned and closed the doors. Then he looked to the acting Crown Attorney and stated "Mr. Blather you may proceed."

Blather stood up then stated "Thank you Your Honor. The evidence I have is compelling. I have the written statement of the victim. He was unable to provide a verbal statement because his jaw had to be wired shut due to being broken in four placed by that out of control cop" He pointed sharply at Sam.

Gibbon stood "I object to the use of that term or any derogatory terms to describe my client. The accused is innocent until proven guilty in a trial. It has not been proven he was out of control nor guilty. As such he should be afforded the respect he deserves as an officer of the Toronto Metro Police Department. Therefore my client should be referred to as Constable Braddock or Officer Braddock."

The Justice answered "Sustained. Mr. Blather you will refrain from derogatory terms when referring to the accused. Please use his title and name only."

Blather sighed heavily and acknowledged the Justice. He then went on to list all Dupont's injuries and how he was bedridden due to the knee injury. He had Ms. Rowan display the pictures of the battered Dupont on the large screen for everyone to view. Blather played up the injuries using all kinds of words to describe how much pain the poor man was in and his bleak prognosis for recovery.

As the man went on and on about Dupont Jules gazed at Sam. She sighed softly as she saw the lines of pain at the corners of his eyes that Sam could not keep completely hidden. She wished she could be sitting next to him holding his hand like yesterday.

She was glad of Mason's close proximity to Sam though. She wondered what had happened between those to make Mason so protective of and gentle with Sam. Jules knew she would never ask though, it was probably something painful for both of them.

Jules sighed again wishing she could erase that pain from Sam's face. Then she felt the warmth of a hand on top of hers in her lap. She looked to her right and Laura smiled softly at her and squeezed lightly. She whispered "He will be okay. We are all here to support him."

Blather finished up his long winded description of injuries and then launched into Dupont's version of the events. "According to the victim, Mr. Dupont, he saw the altercation on the security cameras in his office. It was extremely heated with five men involved. He was worried for the safety of the staff and patients in the physical therapy department so at the last moment took his gun with him."

"Upon entering the area he quickly secured the main room getting everyone to safety. By that time two of the five men had left but he was unaware of that before he entered the assessment room. He was outnumbered so went in with his gun drawn. Dupont states that the argument was in full swing and that Mr. Braddock, I mean Constable Braddock was in a rage. He feared for the safety of the two men he was arguing with."

"When Constable Braddock launched himself at who we now know is Mr. William Braddock" Blather stated but was cut off as Gibbson objected.

Gibbons stood "I object to the term Mr. William Braddock. He should be referred to as General Braddock or the General. General Braddock has served with distinction and deserves the respect of the title of his position."

Justice Christenson answered "Sustained. Mr. Blather you will refer to him in such a manner. And may I suggest that you stick to titles and surnames for the remainder of your references. It will save time with objections and show the proper respect to those involved."

Blather was boiling under the skin but only smiled "Yes Your Honor."

He looked at his file "As I was saying Constable Braddock was in a rage and attacked General Braddock. Mr. Dupont fired his weapon intending to stop Constable Braddock from pushing General Braddock out the window. It missed and shattered the window. Dupont reports that after knocking General Braddock and Constable Scarlatti to the ground the Constable got up in an attack position and was ready to attack him."

"Dupont states he tried to talk to him to calm him down. He told Constable Braddock that if he didn't calm down he would have to shoot him. He was concerned for the safety of General Braddock and Constable Scarlatti who were lying injured on the floor. He was also afraid for his own life given that Constable Braddock would not listen to his calming words and attacked him by slamming into his knee. That is when his knee was shattered."

Getting into the mode big time, Blather preened as he continued "Dupont and Constable Braddock grappled for the gun. In severe pain from the broken knee Dupont was incapacitated on the floor. Constable Braddock pinned him to the floor and proceeded to viciously hit his face repeatedly causing the injuries I outlined before."

"The Crown will prove that with Constable Braddock's Special Forces training he was a lethal threat to Dupont even though he was unarmed. The fact that it took six men to pull him off of Mr. Dupont is a clear indicator that Constable Braddock intended to kill Mr. Dupont. Mr. Dupont was just doing his job trying to keep the hospital safe and Constable Braddock viciously attacked him without provocation."

Blather stopped to take a sip of water "Ms. Rowan will you please play exhibit A. This is video evidence that shows that Mr. Dupont fired his weapon after Constable Braddock launch his attack on General Braddock. It also clearly shows Mr. Dupont attempting to talk the accused down. It corroborates that Dupont had to fire again as Constable Braddock tackled him. Finally it shows the horrible beating and the six men pulling Constable Braddock off and his continued raging."

The video was played. Forewarned by Gibbson of the contents of the video Yvonne closed her eyes unable to watch Sam being shot. As her eyes closed she felt Erik who was on her left put his arm around her shoulder and pull her close to him. As she turned her head into his chest she felt Mark who flanked her right side cover her hand with his and squeeze gently offering her support. A single tear slipped out and ran unheeded down her cheek.

Jules single gasp was muted when her hand flew up to cover her mouth. Her other hand gripped Laura's tightly. She was warned what it showed but knowing and seeing were two distinctly different things. She blinked away unshed tears as she watched Sam grappling with Dupont. She flinched when she saw Dupont get hold of the gun again just before Sam started punching him.

She could not believe the way Blather twisted things around. Dupont's statement was full of blatant out and out lies. Without audio to go with the video his story fit the action but not the truth of what happened. She had faith that Gibbson would set the record straight.

But that didn't make it any easier to hear the claims against Sam or watch Sam put himself in harm's way to save others. She didn't think she would ever get used to that. Every time he took such an action it gave her mixed feelings of pride in Sam, fear he would get hurt and anger that he put every one's safety above his own.

Blaze who sat to her right wrapped a protective arm around Jules's shoulder after hearing her gasp. Mason had quickly informed him, Winds and Jim of Blondie's and Jules's relationship when they arrived today. He stressed the need for secrecy and they promised to keep what they knew private.

Since Team One had to be sequestered he decided to sit next to Jules in case she needed comfort. That is how he could help Blondie in this situation, be there to protect and support the woman Blondie loved. He caught Sam's approving glance that also communicated thank you.

When the video concluded Blather stood and stated "ACA Sundqvist has also submitted to the court sworn statements from General Braddock, Constable Scarlatti, and several witnesses to the events in the main physical therapy room when Dupont entered. That is the only evidence I have not personally reviewed. ACA Sundqvist assured me that they corroborated what is shown in the video."

Looking directly at Sam Blather asserted "As the court can see we have established solid evidence that warrants Constable Braddock be held over for trial on charges of aggravated assault for his vicious attack on Mr. Gaston Dupont whose injuries have him bedridden in constant pain in a hospital while Constable Braddock enjoys the comfort of home."

He sat down at the tabled and tried but was not successful at holding back a smirk. Braddock was going down. The video clearly showed him beating the crap out of Dupont.

Justice Christenson looked down at the small note paper he had been provided at his place. It was in manly script and titled Samuel's pain medication schedule followed by times and a short request asking for the proceedings to break long enough so they could be administered and informing the judge that Sam needed the assistance of Mason to move about. It was signed by Dr. Mallard. He noted the time and felt bad that it was forty-five minutes past the time noted.

The judge looked at the accused that had not moved at all in the past hour. He was good at reading body language and seeing things people did not want him to see. He saw the young man was in pain and trying not to show it. Damn, he should have paid closer attention to the time. He would do so for the remainder of the proceedings.

Christenson spoke "Court will take a fifteen minute recess. Master Warrant Officer Srònaich'O'Naoimhín please assist the accused as needed as I am told his injuries prevent him moving under his own power. When we return Defense counsel will present their evidence." Then he rose and went to Ms. Rowan with the note and quietly asked her to go check with Dr. Mallard if the times needed to be adjusted since Braddock was late in getting his dosage.

Yvonne stood and spoke clearly to the room "Coffee, tea, water and refreshments have been set up in the Study. Please follow Captain Galloway if you care for refreshments." Then she headed for Sam.

She knelt down and whispered "Level?"

Sam glanced at her and then looked down cast into his lap unable to look her in the eyes knowing she was going to be very mad at him. He answered truthfully "Seven nearing eight."

Jules watched as Yvonne reached out and brushed through Sam's hair. She had heard the level and was pissed at him for not saying something. Then she recalled he had thrown up within ten minutes of taking his last dose. Dammit, she should have made him take them again because they had surely come up with the broth and tea. And now he was also overdue for his next dose. Dammit. She wished she could be doing for Sam what Yvonne was doing but it would look strange to the brass so she stayed in the background.

Yvonne brushed through his hair "Sammy what am I going to do with you? Later we are going to have a serious talk about the meaning of a lot of pain young man."

Sam's weak attempt to smile at his mom failed. Partly because he had been caught in deflection and partly because he was concentrating so hard right now to control the pain.

She turned to Mason "Please take him to his room so he can lie down and rest for a few minutes." Mason nodded and got the wheelchair out.

Then Yvonne stood and turned and made a show of looking for someone when she knew exactly where she was. "Oh Jules there you are. Please can I impose on you? Would you be so kind as to get Samuel's medication and a small snack then bring them to his room? I need to help Mason get Samuel to his room. You know where everything is located in the kitchen right?"

Jules smiled and thought gotta love the tactics of that woman. "I'd be happy to assist you Mrs. Braddock. Yes I know where his meds are. They are right next to Spike's and mine." Jules headed out of the room with the brass none the wiser that Yvonne had just afforded Jules and Sam fifteen minutes together away from prying eyes.

.

* * *

 _ **AN:**_ _Whew, trying to locate all the Braddock and JTF2 characters ranks throughout the stories was daunting. They are all so good they got promotions since previous stories. :D_

 _Note: I am winging the court procedures. I did some research to lend some authenticity but no claims to it being anywhere near accurate procedures. Although I did try to use Canadian terminology as much as possible (e.g. Justice instead of Judge) and learned that Canadian Justice's do not use gavels._

 _ **Thank you to all readers that leave me a review let me know what you think of the story.** _

**_HUGE THANK YOU to venetiaj for letting me bounce idea off of you, helping me keep continuity and for your great suggestions._**


	18. Recess, Defense Begins & Jules's Thought

**Recess, Defense Begins & Jules's Thoughts  
**

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Sam's Room**_

"Aaahh" escaped Sam's lips as he lay on the bed. Relief from the pressure brought a small amount of relief from the pain. It felt good to stretch out flat. Even his shoulder felt a bit of relief. It was throbbing so badly he wished he had kept the sling on.

Mason put a pillow under his arm to support it "Bet you wish you wore the sling right about now huh."

"Yeah. Wish I could wear it when we go back" Sam responded wistfully.

Yvonne asked "Why can't you wear it when you go back?"

Sam turned his gaze to her "Looks bad. Like I'm playing up injuries."

Yvonne gave him a stern look "Pish posh. Sam you will wear it because you need it. I don't give a darn about appearances. Dr. Mallard can attest to the need if anyone questions the veracity of the need."

Jules popped in with the meds and a small snack "The need for what?"

Mason laughed "Tough guy here needs the sling but is afraid it will send the wrong message if he wears it when he returns."

Jules set the items down and sat on the bed. She cocked her head to one side and gave him 'the look' "Sam Braddock, you will wear the sling or I'll make sure you wished you had. Are we clear?"

Sam clenched his teeth to stop the smart-ass retort that would have earned him a punch to the bicep. Instead he said "You have my meds?"

She instantly softened. Oh god. Here she was threatening to punch him, they both knew it, and he was already in so much pain. He drove her to do rash things sometimes. She responded "Yeah. Right here. One or two?"

Right about now Sam wished it could be three or four and he could zone out completely but he had to be coherent to testify in a little bit. One would be too little, two would be too much. One would have to do for now. He said "One but maybe the doctor will shorten the time for the next dose?"

Yvonne got up and said "Mason and I will go check. Mason will be back just before it is time to return. Rest a bit. If anyone asks for you Jules I'll let them know you are busy helping me." She smiled at them both and just before she closed the door she turned the locking mechanism so that the door would be locked.

Jules handed Sam his meds and water. After he downed them she handed him half a cheese sandwich. Then she sat on the bed with her back against the headboard. Sam lifted his head from the pillow and rolled slightly so he could lay it in Jules lap. He slowly ate his sandwich as she carded her fingers through his hair.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Family Room**_

The group of witnesses was informed the hearing was taking a recess when Ida and Laura brought in refreshments for them because they were still sequestered. They were allowed to talk to one another but not allowed to discuss the anything related to the case.

Greg grabbed a sandwich and an ice tea and sat next to Spike "How are you doing Spike?"

Spike washed down the last bite of apple "Good."

Wordy sidled up to them and sat on the arm of the couch near Spike. Quietly he asked "Nightmares?"

Spike thought about it. Did he confess to them that sleeping in Sam's old room holding his old blue dog had helped reduce them? No. Never in a trillion years. But he couldn't suppress a small grin as he said "Not as frequent. Not as bad either. I think being here; away from it all is helping. So is designing a security system for Jules."

Greg, Ed and Wordy listened as Spike laid out all the details for the system he wanted to put in for Jules. The three guys did a superior job of not laughing in his face when he told them about the cameras in the bathrooms. Spike ended with "So do you think she will like it?"

Ed pinched the bridge of his nose "So you haven't actually discussed this with Jules yet?"

Spike shook his head "No but Sam said I should let her decide what parts she wants to install."

Greg did laugh then "Good advice Spike. I'd follow that."

Ed sat on the table in front of the couch "Any idea why Jules asked us to say those dinosaur names to Sam?"

Wordy grinned "Ah Ed don't you remember Power Rangers? I'm sure Clark was into them at one point."

"Power Rangers?" Ed queried. Then the light bulb went on and he was totally lost "What the hell was that about?"

Greg laughed again "I'm sure we'll find out eventually. She said something to me about her and Sam having a surprise for us all when they make it back to the team."

Ed shook his head "Jules and Sam have an odd friendship. She always seems to know what he needs to be pulled out of a funk. Did you see how he reacted?"

Taking a sip of coffee Wordy reflected on it then answered thoughtfully "I saw how it relaxed Sam. I agree Ed those two seem to have a connection. We've all seen it multiple times in the past years. How they can anticipate what the other is thinking. It makes them great partners on the team. That connection has saved each of them a time or two. Hell it's even saved each of us a few times. I'm glad they are best friends."

Greg was listening to Wordy but watching Spike. He noticed when he almost lost grip on the glass he was holding. That concerned him. He reached out and put a hand on Spike's shoulder and squeezed "How's the grip?"

Ed and Wordy looked at Greg then back to Spike. They saw the wide eye 'how'd you know' look on Spike's face. Ed's voice dropped with concern "Spike what's wrong with your grip?"

Spike swallowed under the intense scrutiny of the three. He was about to give them false answer when Wordy said in his fatherly concerned voice "The truth. Whatever it is, we will do whatever we can to help."

Closing his eyes a moment Spike took a deep breath and rambled out quickly "It's not so good. Hard to maintain my grip. Goes in and out without warning. Not sure …" He laughed nervously not wanting to give voice to his real thoughts of not sure I'll make it back to the team. Instead he said "Lizzy will be here tomorrow to do her initial assessment."

Ed patted Spike's knee and used his Team Lead voice that brooked no defiance "You're gonna do everything she says buddy. You're gonna make it back to the team. We need you Spike. It's not the same out there without you." Ed captured Spike's eyes and stared at him, willing him to agree with him.

Wordy could see Spike needed a bit of lightness so he quipped "Hey we'll even kick in and buy you all the ice you need."

They were chuckling when they saw Mason and Yvonne enter and head for Dr. Mallard. They all watched the brief discussion and as the three headed out together.

Greg said "Wonder what that was about?"

Spike said "I hope Sam's feeling okay. Jules made him peppermint tea to try and settle his stomach but he threw up just before everything started."

"Is he taking his pain meds like he should? We all know how he tries to get out of taking them" Ed questioned Spike.

Nodding Spike said "Yeah, between his mom, Jules and Laura he doesn't stand a chance. He's been taking them religiously. In fact Jules made him drink some broth and eat a few crackers before we started in order to take them because Sam didn't eat his lunch."

"Thought you said he threw up just before we started. Did he take a replacement dose?" Wordy asked.

"I don't know. Jules and Mason were with him. I hope he did. He'd be in a hell of lot of pain if he didn't" Spike answered. He really hoped he did. Sam had enough to deal with today. He didn't need a lot of pain.

Greg hoped he did too but there was nothing he could do but ask if they came back in. He decided to change the subject "So how's our girl doing? How is she coping? Has she said anything to you about wanting to meet with her brothers?"

Spike jerked his head to Greg "Her brothers? No. Why?"

"Did she show you the pictures Greg sent of the repairs they made to her home?" Wordy asked.

"No. They made repairs? They as in more than just Aidan?" Spike asked.

Greg sighed "Yeah all four came to Toronto to see her but we had already left. They fixed her front door and cleaned up the basement. So she hasn't mentioned the photos. Probably means she isn't ready to talk about them yet."

Taking a long drink of tea Ed said "Didn't think she would be. I mean they abandoned her for so many years and she has bigger things to work through first. How is she coping? Nightmares? Fears?"

Spike gave them a small smile "She's working through it as you say Ed. She doesn't jump every time Mason comes in the room now. But yeah I think she is still having bad dreams. You know, Jules hasn't had a mother's touch since she was a young girl. Sam's mom and Laura have been good for her. I think they are helping her a lot. Being here is good for her too." He left off the part that being close to Sam was helping her too.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Sam's Room**_

The two of them had been silent for ten minutes now. Sam had finished the half sandwich but refused the other half. Jules continued to stroke his hair and massage his neck gently. Sam was so tense. With the quiet comfort she gave him, Jules felt some of the tension release as Sam's head lay heavier in her lap. She wished she could take all his pain away.

Jules knew damned well that the one pill was not nearly enough but she didn't question his decision. She knew he needed to be in control and not loopy. But dammit why did he have to be in pain? He'd been in pain for three weeks now. When would it stop? Jules sighed, not anytime soon. Sam still had rehab to face with Lizzy.

The word rehab made her mind jump to restoration. Then it made a gigantic leap to her brothers. She couldn't believe that all four had shown up. They had fixed her door, which she didn't know was busted in the first place. They cleaned the basement. That had to be a gruesome job. Jules shuddered when she recalled all the blood she saw pouring out of Logan.

According to Greg they had also fixed the window in the basement. Why? Why now? What had changed? Talk about pain Jules thought cynically. She'd had years of pain of a different sort. She never talked about her brothers or father to anyone. It was just too painful.

She could never figure out why they had turned their backs on her. They had always been so protective. But the day she announced to her father she was going to the police academy and joining the RCMP it was like flipping a switch and she no longer existed to them. They had all shut her out. So she had shut them out in order to survive the pain of their loss and move on.

So why now? Could she risk contacting them? Would it open old wounds that had festered for years? Could she handle it for them to come back into her life only to leave again if they disagreed with her? It was so much to think about. She didn't think she was ready to deal with them right now. She needed to get back to her normal self before dealing with her brothers.

Jules was pulled from her musings when there was a light rap on Sam's door. "Hey Sam, I gotta get that."

Sam moved his head to the pillow. He clenched his jaw to stifle the groan of pain that wanted to escape. God he hurt so much. His head was pounding from a tension headache. His shoulder throbbed from his stupidity of going without the sling. His ribs were now aching from how he had positioned his body to lay in Jules's lap. His thighs ached from the pressure of sitting in the chair for so long.

He was trying to figure out how he was going to pull off managing the pain in the hearing when his mom, Mason and Dr. Mallard entered.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Study**_

The room was filled with those from the Toronto delegation and Mike and Scott. The rest of the Braddocks and friends choose to congregate in the kitchen. It was better that way since the study was not large enough to accommodate all of them.

Mike and Scott were there to keep the group corralled and from wandering around the house accidentally. Mike positioned himself at the door. Scott had grabbed a sandwich and a cup of coffee and positioned himself in the General's chair behind the desk.

Blather had filled his plate full with little sandwiches and sat down next to Brunello. He smiled "We got him now. See that video? Man there is nothing that he can say to change what that shows. Attacked him completely without provocation. Dupont is lucky to be alive" Blather spoke with his mouth full of cheese sandwich.

Brunello looked on disgusted at the man's eating and talking habits. He saw the video. Yes it was a violent attack. An unarmed man against an armed one. He wished there was audio to go with it though. A niggle of doubt had started in the back of his head. It started asking questions he should have asked before arresting anyone.

One thing that bothered him was that if the General's and Scarlatti's statements corroborated Dupont's version why were they defense witnesses. He had assumed at the outset when they identified themselves as defense witnesses that they were covering. But if ACA Sundqvist said they matched Dupont's version then they should be prosecution witnesses. Something just didn't add up.

Brunello sat back no longer hungry. Did he act rashly? No, no he made the right decision. Someone that violent for no reason needed to be cuffed. But did he?

He saw that huge man carefully lift Braddock out of the chair and into a wheelchair. He had seen the clenched jaw and sweat bead on Braddock's forehead when he was moved. He noticed the panting breaths like he was trying to control pain. He saw the color drain from Braddock's face as he knocked his shoulder on the wheelchair.

Some of that but not all of it could be for show for sympathy to make it seem like he was more injured than he was. Brunello started getting a sinking feeling that his day was going down the toilet.

Brunello had watched as Mrs. Braddock and Dr. Mallard came into the room and spoke briefly with Mr. Gibbson. He wondered what that was about. Mrs. Braddock looked worried.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Library**_

Justice Christenson entered the library and everyone assumed their positions. "This hearing is called back in session. Defense counsel is there a reason the accused has not returned?"

Gibbson stood and explained "Your Honor Constable Samuel Braddock, the accused, is not currently present as his doctor has advised me that his patient must rest for at least the next hour due to his injuries. At which time he will determine if he is able to rejoin the proceedings. We are prepared to proceed without him present."

Blather stood "Your Honor I object. This is clearly a ploy to garner sympathy from the court. He was just fine before the break. Did he just suddenly become too injured to attend? No it is clearly an attempt to play up his injuries after seeing what he did to Mr. Dupont."

Gibbson stood "Your Honor, my learned friend here is incorrect in his supposition. I had not intended to call Dr. Mallard to the stand until later but if it pleases the court I will call him now to give a testimony on the injuries he sustained and his current status."

Christenson considered what was said. Harriet's answer from the doctor had been to just adjust the time by forty-five minutes then stay to the schedule. Was this a ploy or did something happen because he was late on a dose? He responded "The court will allow Constable Braddock to be absent if Dr. Mallard can provide a valid reason."

Blather sat disgruntled.

Picking up several papers Gibbson and said "Before I call Dr. Mallard I would like to enter into evidence the sworn statement from Samuel Braddock. When he is able to rejoin the proceedings he will be testifying to the contents of his statement."

Mike came forward and took the papers giving them to Ms. Rowan.

Dale Gibbson then said "The defense calls Dr. Rupert Mallard to the stand."

Mike went to get the doctor. When they returned the doctor took a seat in the witness chair and was reminded he had been sworn in and was still under oath and asked to state his name for the record.

Gathering his notes while that occurred Gibbson then started "Dr. Mallard. The court needs to understand the current health status of Constable Braddock. Please enlighten the court with his status."

Dr. Mallard cleared his throat. He was a bit nervous because he had never testified at a hearing. "Constable Braddock was in extreme pain. I had to prescribe a stronger dose of pain medication. The result of which is that he is currently in a light drug induced sleep in order to bring it back under control."

"Why is the accused in extreme pain?" Gibbson asked.

Mallard answered "It seems he vomited shortly after taking his previous dose of pain medication just before the hearing started. It was not in his system long enough to have any effect. Then he was forty-five minutes overdue for his next dose. This means he was not medicated for several hours. With the extent of his injuries that would be extremely painful."

Blather snorted and thought extreme pain my ass, he's just milking it.

Gibbson asked "Can you please tell the court about all Constable Braddock's injuries?"

"Yes. Well let's see. Constable Braddock has sustained multiple injuries over the past several weeks. He is still recovering from wounds received when he was kidnapped about three weeks ago. He was in critical condition just after"

Blather stood up "I object."

Judge Christenson asked "Mr. Blather to what do you object?"

"His previous injuries have no bearing to this case and should not be entered into the record. He looked perfectly fine sitting in the padded chair with his feet up" Blather stated.

Isaac Glover just barely managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes and blurting out 'Jesus Christ sit down you idiot'. This guy was a piece of work. Rookies don't even make the mistakes this man does. His first objection opened the door for the doctor to provide the full detail because you challenged and the judge asked for a valid reason. You idiot.

Justice Christenson thought the man was an idiot now but it was not his place to tell him what he did wrong so he only stated "Overruled. The court requires a valid reason. Therefore the court instructs Dr. Mallard to continue with all relevant details."

Dr. Mallard continued "Constable Braddock was in critical condition just after surgery when he suffered two gunshot wounds; one to the upper right thigh and one to his left shoulder. He had lost a considerable amount of blood and was dehydrated from captivity and a raging infection. That combination sent him into cardiac arrest. He received a blood transfusion."

"Constable Braddock also sustained blunt force trauma to his head causing a hairline fracture of his skull and concussion. He was severely beaten about the face and torso, mostly to the torso. He was tasered multiple times. He had fairly deep lacerations on his wrists and ankles. Lastly he sustained several cracked ribs. When he was in ICU there was an incident where the sutures in his thigh were torn and had to be redone."

Looking to the Justice he saw the man cringe a bit then he continued "Then there are the wounds he sustained in the physical therapy assessment room. One bullet caused a deep graze in his left arm. A second bullet was to the left thigh and lodged in the muscle. It was a very delicate operation that took a long time so that further damage to the muscle was avoided. The shockwave of penetration caused bruising of the bone which is very painful."

"Lastly he sustained injuries in the recovery room. He was cuffed to the bed by his wrists and ankles. When he came out of anesthesia he struggled against his restraints with such force that he dislocated the left shoulder. It was the same shoulder that he was shot in not two weeks prior. It was separated with such force that he strained the muscles and ligaments significantly. His arm was immobilized to allow it to heal and prevent further damage. He also sustained bruises to his wrists and ankles."

Dr. Mallard directed his next statement toward the justice "With his extensive injuries pain management is quite important. It is for these reasons I gave him a stronger dose of medication and insisted he rest for at least an hour."

When Dr. Mallard was finished detailing the injuries the room was so quiet. Most in attendance were considering the severity of the injuries. The Braddock cousins had not heard the entire list of wounds and were seething at Vlad, Dupont and Brunello.

Winds put a staying hand on Blaze seeing he was about to explode. But Blaze calmed instantly when he saw the devastated look on Jim's face. He put his arm around Jim's shoulders and whispered "Blondie will be okay. You did good again I hear. Kept our brother alive again. Thank you."

Jim looked at him and whispered back "Wish I didn't have to keep doing that."

Winds leaned across Blaze getting close to whisper to Jim "Don't we all, don't we all. But I'm still glad you were there to help."

Christenson was silently berating himself for not adhering to medication schedule. He had made some of the same assumptions as Blather initially. But he had read the body language and seen he was in pain. That was a horrible list of injuries.

He gave the doctor a curt nod "The court finds that there is a valid reason and will allow Constable Braddock to be absent from the proceeding as long as is required for his health. Mr. Gibbson you may proceed."

Gibbson checked his notes and decided to run through the remainder of his questions for Dr. Mallard right now. He looked at the doctor "Dr. Mallard in your professional opinion is it possible for an odor to elicit long dormant memories and emotional reactions?"

"Most definitely. Extensive research has been done on odor-evoked autobiographical memory also known as the Proust phenomenon. Odors are especially effective as reminders of past experience, much more so than cues from other senses, such as sounds or sights." The doctor went on to describe in detail the biological reasons and that odor-cued memories tend to be stronger, more emotional, and from earlier in life. He concluded his dissertation saying "The research concluded that odor-cued memories tended to be older memories from the first decade of life, whereas those associated with verbal and visual information were from early adulthood."

Then Gibbson asked "Would it be possible for one person to smell something that others in the room cannot?"

Dr. Mallard again launched into a detailed explanation of the olfactory receptors. He addressed why some people are more sensitive to odors than others and why no two people experience a scent in the same way.

Switching topics Gibbson then asked "Given the state that Constable Braddock was in at the time he was in the physical therapy assessment room can you explain how he could have stood up and faced Mr. Dupont after propelling himself into his father?"

"Ah that would be the long established fight or flight response. When a person feels threatened ..."

Blather stood up and interrupted "I object Your Honor. There is no evidence entered yet that establishes that Constable Braddock felt threatened."

Gibbson responded "Your Honor I have already entered Constable Braddock's statement into evidence. Within the statement he clearly indicates that he felt threatened as soon as Mr. Dupont entered the room."

Blather sunk his teeth in "And how could Mr. Braddock feel threatened? His back was to Mr. Dupont and he was busy arguing with General Braddock and Constable Scarlatti."

Maintaining his calm demeanor while having to deal with the idiot Gibbson responded "All in due time my learned friend. Your Honor due to the complexity of the situation there will be testimony that appears to be disconnected at times. It however will all come together in the end."

Justice Christenson ruled "Overruled. Dr. Mallard please continue."

Dr. Mallard smoothly explained "As I was saying when a person feels threatened their brains move into either a fight or flight mode. The body will begin to pump adrenaline. Adrenaline is a double edged sword. Its protective features allow the body to mask pain so one can handle a threatening situation. However once the threat is gone the adrenaline ceases and the body will crash so to speak."

"Knowing what you do regarding Constable Braddock's injuries which mode would he have gone into fight or flight?" Gibbson inquired.

"Goodness the complexities of a person and the situation would be the determining factor. I cannot speculate which mode he went into. However given his injuries flight would have been rather difficult. He was unable to walk by himself. He was confined to a wheelchair, still is" Dr. Mallard answered.

Gibbson then asked "My final question for you at this time Dr. Mallard. In your professional opinion was there any reason to restrain Constable Braddock after surgery? Was he a flight risk?"

Hardness came over Dr. Mallard's whole countenance "Absolutely no reason what so ever. The young man had just been through a grueling surgery and was still weak from previously sustained injuries. In my opinion it was a gross, unconscionable decision to restrain him; especially since my patient sustained further injuries from those restraints."

"No further questions at this time" Gibbson stated.

Blather had no clue what to ask so stood and said "No further questions."

Justice Christenson stated "The witness is excused."

Mallard stood and walked to the defense table and stated "I will go check on Constable Braddock and send word if he is ready to return."

Gibbson stood and stated "The defense calls General William Braddock."

Mike headed out to get the General.

Chief Alnwick sat contemplating all he heard and had a sick feeling. Captain Brunello had acted rash in his decision to cuff Braddock. What was the man thinking? He was not a bad officer. He had many years on the force. What caused him to be in such a rush and not gather all the facts before acting?

Brunello sat dejected. He was now suspicious that the Internal Investigations and SIU were not only investigating Braddock's actions but his as well. Holy shit. What was I thinking? I better figure out something fast or I can kiss my career good bye.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Sam's Room**_

Yvonne sat in the chair watching Sam sleep with his head in Jules's lap. It warmed her heart to see the tender care Jules openly showed Sam when they were in private. The irony of those words, open but only in private, hit her and she almost laughed.

She rose from her chair "I'll just go get you some tea Jules. Are you sure you don't want a snack too?"

Jules shook her head "No I'm good. I'm glad Dr. Mallard upped his dose. I should have realized the meds came up with everything else. But Sam hides his pain too well and he can be just, just so"

Yvonne finished "Stubborn." The women shared a nod and chuckle then Yvonne said "Yes, part of his charm though. I'll be back in a moment."

Jules watched as Sam's mom left. She was right, his stubbornness was part of who he was and in many ways she loved him for it. It was a trait that helped him move passed so many horrible things in his life. It would help him move passed this too.

She leaned her head back on the headboard as her hand absently stroked his hair. Dr. Mallard said he would likely sleep for about an hour. That was a good thing even though Sam didn't think so. She smiled as she recalled Yvonne's gentle scolding of him as she defined 'a lot of pain' to him.

When he resisted Dr. Mallard's suggestion to up the dose Yvonne and she ganged up on him. Sam never had a chance. He grumbled as he downed the dose and refused to talk to both of them. He had been out like a light within five minutes. All tension left his body as sleep claimed him.

Yvonne came back in and set a glass on the nightstand within easy reach for Jules. She also set down a plate with some snacks on it. "Here's your tea. Laura or I'll check back in thirty minutes in case you need anything. Or if you want to return to the hearing I can sit with Sam. Neither Laura nor I plan to go back in to the hearing right now."

"Thanks for the tea. I'll stay with Sam for now" Jules responded.

Smiling Yvonne brushed a stray lock of Jules's hair from her face "Thought so but just thought I'd offer. Rest yourself Jules. I have a feeling Sammy's gonna need you later after this is all over." She left the room closing the door softly behind her.

As Yvonne left Jules head was still tingling from the light motherly touch when Yvonne moved her hair. When the door closed Jules's eyes watered and a few tears slipped down. It had been so long since her mother passed away she had almost forgotten how good a mother's touch felt. She wondered how Mrs. Braddock would feel if she called her mom.

Whoa! Her mind screamed. Jules Callaghan you are getting way ahead of yourself. Sam's your boyfriend not your fiancée or husband. Thinking like that could be dangerous. She sighed and indulged in a little bit of fantasy. What would it be like if they were married? Would they want kids? Maybe.

Would they be able to work on the same team? She laughed out loud. Yeah right. She knew the answer to that one. Hell no. If the brass wouldn't allow dating there was no way in hell they'd be allowed to stay on the same team if they married.

Her mind began to weigh the pros and cons. Jules drifted off into a light sleep with the unsettling feeling that she would happily give up the team if Sam ever asked her to marry him.


	19. Defense Continues

**Defense Continues  
**

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Library**_

General Braddock strode into the room with his usual air of authority. He sat ramrod straight and tall in the witness chair and affirmed he was still under oath and stated his name. He was an imposing figure even sitting down.

Isaac Glover observed the man. He was a force to be reckoned with. Now more than ever he was glad of the change in counsel. He had a sense that Blather could be cowed with only a single glance from the General. This should be interesting he thought.

Gibbson took a quick sip of water then stood "General Braddock, it was stated by the prosecutions that there were five men initially arguing. Please tell the court who were involved."

The General stated "That would include myself, my son Constable Braddock, Constable Scarlatti, Constable Lane and Constable Wordsworth."

Their strategy was to avoid the confusion of the Dupont twin issue in the beginning and allow Sam to address the sexual assault only if he chose to or if it was needed. So with the General he would focus on the specifics of what occurred in the physical therapy room. With that in mind Gibbson asked "Can you tell the court the subject of the argument?"

"Yes. It began because Constable Lane received a phone call from Sergeant Parker alerting him that a serial rapist and murderer was targeting Constable Callaghan. Constable Braddock had seen the man peering in her window the evening before. He worked with a sketch artist who entered it into the database. The Interpol agents working the case got a match based on a description from a witness to a previous murder."

"Constable Lane and Wordsworth were leaving to assist Team Two and Sergeant Parker. Constables Braddock and Scarlatti wanted to go along. They were upset that their teammate was in danger. Constable Lane told them to stay that there was nothing they could do in their current state. That upset Constable Braddock even more."

Gibbson requested "Please tell the court what occurred after Constables Wordsworth and Lane left the room."

General Braddock started "After they left Constable Scarlatti calmed down first. He then helped me calm Constable Braddock down. My method of pointing out he was not capable of helping at that point was the wrong tactic. Constable Scarlatti stepped between us and used words he knew would work. He reassured him that their teammates would be there to protect her and reminded him that she was capable of handling the situation. He used a bit of humor to defuse the situation."

"Constable Braddock was calmly sitting in the wheelchair when Mr. Dupont entered the room. The next thing I know I am flying backwards and heard a gunshot. I ended up on the floor with the wind knocked out of me with my son on top of me. Glass was raining down on all three of us. I was struggling to get air into my lungs when Samuel gained his feet and placed himself protectively between me and Constable Scarlatti and Mr. Dupont."

Blather rose "I object Your Honor to the description that Braddock placed himself protectively between them. All evidence at this point shows that Constable Braddock attacked his father then turned on Mr. Dupont. General Braddock does not know what his son's intentions were at the time."

Justice Christenson stated "Sustained. Ms. Rowan please strike the word protectively from the statement. General Braddock please continue."

Don't know my son's intentions my ass thought the General but he maintained his cool and calm demeanor and continued "So my son placed himself between me and his teammate and Mr. Dupont. Dupont began speaking to Constable Braddock as I and Constable Scarlatti were getting our bearings."

Gibbson asked "What did Mr. Dupont say to Constable Braddock?"

Anger raged through the General and it was heard in the icy tone of his voice "He said 'Ready to die now brat? You should've died in that burnt out house you were hiding in all those years ago. Yeah I knew you were there the first night you ran away. Figured you'd die if I left you there, especially when I took most the food and water from you when you fell asleep that first night. But I couldn't help myself. You were my first boy and I just couldn't bring myself to do it then. But now?"

Gibbson knew not to ask at this point what Dupont meant by my first boy. He wondered if Blather caught that and would ask in cross exam. But he moved forward "What happened then?"

Tamping down on his anger General Braddock stated "Mr. Dupont stepped towards Constable Braddock and started to raise the gun again. Constable Braddock was unarmed and lunged forward to tackle Mr. Dupont. They grappled on the floor. Dupont lost the gun as he fell and was trying to go for it. Constable Braddock got the upper hand and straddled Dupont. Dupont continued to struggle and Braddock stuck him."

"It took me and Constable Scarlatti a few moments to regain our feet and then we moved forward to break it up. It all happened so fast. Samuel's training and instincts saved his life and quite possibly my life that day. Mr. Dupont was intent on killing Samuel."

Blather stood "I object Your Honor. General Braddock cannot know Mr. Dupont's intent. That last statement must be struck from the record."

Gibbson rebutted "Ms. Rowan would you please read back General Braddock's testimony of what Mr. Dupont said?"

Harriet found the section and read it back to the court. Justice Christenson stated "Overruled. From those comments one can infer intent. General Braddock's statement will remain."

Now Gibbson was going to lay some ground work and it was going to get a bit confusing "General Braddock do you know what Mr. Dupont was referring to when he said Constable Braddock should've died in that burnt out house?"

General Braddock clenched and released his fists several times as he fought for control of his emotions. He was glad they were hidden behind the table in front of him. His voice clear and strong he focused on his brothers as he related how Dupont had beaten his son causing him to run away. The condition they found Samuel in. How Dupont was court-martialed and kicked out of the military.

As Gibbson asked him questions the story of how he came to be in Toronto came out. He spoke to the call he received from Parker and the concern over the extreme fear Samuel exhibited when Dupont was near. Gibbson entered the videos of the ICU room and the shared room of Spike and Sam into evidence. He also entered into evidence statements by the young security guard who made the 911 call and a statement from Cami relating to the in-house investigation into Dupont's behaviors.

The General's testimony introduced the court to Duffy, Brock and Cardillo and the role they played. But he steered clear of the investigation into the potential pedophile charges. All references were made to a Mr. Dupont not signifying a first name. That bombshell would come later.

Blather sat like a deer in the headlights as all this detail was revealed. His mind was trying to come up with questions to ask that would knock holes in the General's story. The only thing he could grasp was the PTSD and violence of the attack. He had to show Braddock was unstable but accountable for his actions. He needed some way to refocus it to an unprovoked attack or at least excessive force. He needed to discredit the self-defense element.

Then Blather grumbled and thought why had Sundqvist not sent him General Braddock's statement? He wanted to kill the man for leaving him blindsided like this. He saw the writing on the wall that the aggravated assault case was likely to fail. But he could still go after civil recompense and that was what he was most interested in, the money part.

Isaac Glover sat back relaxed. Thank god he handed this off. Leo was absolutely right. Nothing the media was spewing was true.

Captain Brunello sunk low in his chair. He had screwed up big time. Holy Christ. He'd be lucky to be a janitor at the police station after this.

Gibbson concluded his questions for General Braddock "No further questions at this time."

Justice Christenson asked "Does the Crown wish to cross examine?"

Blather hoped to show Braddock was a hot head and out of control so he rose and asked "General Braddock, why would Constable Braddock be so enraged about not going to Officer Callaghan? I mean a SRU team was responding."

The General snorted "Ever been part of a team?"

Blather just stared at the General then snidely stated "Answer the question Sir."

General Braddock stared hard at the man and answered "Teams put their lives in each other's hands. I have personally observed how this team operates and treats one another. They protect and care for each other. It was extremely distressing to both Constable Braddock and Scarlatti not to be able to go to her rescue."

Blather asked "But if they were both upset why was Braddock out of control while Scarlatti was calm?"

The General did not like the implication in his tone but answered "I cannot speak to Constable Scarlatti's frame of mind. However Constable Braddock is my son and I know him well. He has a deeply ingrained need to protect, especially protect women. He and Constable Callaghan are very good friends in addition to teammates. Samuel was not out of control. He was mostly upset that he was helpless to do anything. Helpless is not an emotion Samuel handles well. But his teammate was able to reassure him Jules would be okay."

Blather latched onto the first name "Who is Jules?"

The General chided himself for not sticking to formality "Officer Callaghan, her teammates and friends all call her Jules."

Blather then said "You stated that Constable Braddock was facing you when Mr. Dupont entered. Constable Braddock lunged at you before he even knew the victim was in the room. You say he was calmed but you also state he does not handle emotion well. He must have been very angry you would not allow him to go. So angry in fact that he was unstable and lunged to attack you."

General Braddock sat silent.

Blather became impatient "Answer the question."

With calmness and a hint of smirking the General responded "You asked no question only made statements of your assumptions and opinions."

Frustration flared in Blather. God damned General throwing his mistake in his face. "Why did Constable Braddock attack you?"

"I do not believe he attacked me. I believe that he was protecting me from Dupont" the General answered.

Blather bit out "He did not even know Mr. Dupont was in the room. How to you explain him lunging at you?"

The General allowed a small smile to form as he replied "Ah but I think he did know Mr. Dupont was in the room. I believe he smelled him. As to why Constable Braddock felt it necessary to protect me you will need to ask him. Anything I say would be conjecture and conjecture has no place in a court of law."

Blather knew he was out of his depth with this man so he tried one last ditch effort to cast a shadow of doubt on the General's testimony "You are Constable Braddock's father are you not?"

"Yes I am."

"Would you ever lie to protect your son?" Blather asked with a sneer.

Good question William thought. He answered truthfully "There are a lot of things I would be willing to do and take the consequences for to protect my son. However lying is not one of them. It would be dishonorable both to me and to him. Trust is easily lost if one lies. In my line of work trust is of the utmost importance. Lives depend on people being able to trust what I say. So no I would never lie to protect my son."

Blather stated "No further questions."

Gibbson stood as the General left the witness chair and said "The defense calls Constable Michelangelo Scarlatti."

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Family Room**_

Mike entered the room "Spike you're up."

Spike popped up from the couch and downed the last of his tea "Gotta make a pit stop first Mike."

Greg stopped him "Take this with you."

Looking at what Greg held he smiled and took it then followed Mike out of the room.

Ed came along side of Greg and asked "What'd ya give him?"

"Just his therapy putty. If he gets nervous he can squeeze it. If they ask what he's doing he can just say therapy instead of letting on he is nervous" Greg answered.

Wordy smiled "Good thinking. Also won't hurt to exercise that grip too."

Laura overheard them and looked at them "Oh he's been getting a lot of exercise on his grip without realizing it."

They looked at her confused and Ed asked "How?"

"Did you enjoy the bread for the sandwiches?" Laura asked. They all nodded. Laura added "Good. Spike made it. Yvonne asked him for help with making all the bread and pasta since she arrived. Kneading dough is great hand therapy. Also good therapy for releasing pent up frustrations too. You should see how hard he punches the dough sometimes."

Laura moved off then heading for the kitchen.

Greg looked at the other two "Seems like Mrs. Braddock is helping Spike too."

Wordy smiled "I'm glad they are all starting to heal. I hope it won't be too long before they all come back to the team. I miss them."

Ed patted Wordy's back "Not the same without them that's for sure. You guys up for a game of cards while we wait?"

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Library**_

Spike was sitting in the witness chair and glad for the therapy putty. He had been in court to testify before but never on something so important to him. They all knew the assault charge was unwarranted but anything could happen.

Gibbson smiled at Spike trying to put him at ease. Sam's friend was nervous he could tell. He had gone over the testimony with him a few times. His nervousness and fear of saying something wrong was the reason that the General did the heavy lifting. He would use Spike for corroboration of facts and some details that the General did not have.

"Constable Scarlatti, we have already established that you, General Braddock and Constable Braddock were in the assessment room when Mr. Dupont entered. Please tell the court what you recall beginning with just before you were knocked down."

Spike shifted in the seat and squeezed the putty "Sam, I mean Constable Braddock and I were upset at not being able to go with Ed and Wordy. I mean Constable Lane and Wordsworth." Spike took a steadying breath. "General Braddock was trying to calm Constable Braddock down after Lane and Wordsworth left. He told Constable Braddock 'What are you going to do? You cannot even stand. You need to take care of yourself. Trust your team to help Jules.'"

"That wasn't the right way to calm him down. I told him you know Ed, Wordy and Greg will do whatever is necessary. Then tried levity when I told him she can take care of herself, you know that. We've all had the bruises to prove that." Spike looked to the Justice and said earnestly "We do. Jules has a wicked right jab. Don't want to make her mad."

There was laughter from the Braddock cousins, Blaze, Winds and Jim.

"Sorry, um. Well after I said that Sam started to settle down. His father, the General tried to comfort him and Sam pulled back telling him not to touch him that he didn't deserve comfort that he failed to protect Jules."

"Then the General said Samuel I know what you are feeling right now. Nothing I say will change that. It's how I felt every time you were hurt and I wasn't able to be there to protect you. It is in our blood. But I trust your team to take care of her today. Don't write her off yet my son. It's Jules were are talking about. She is strong and capable. If that man is after her he won't be expecting what she can do. He won't know what hit him."

"That calmed Sam down completely. I did not notice Mr. Dupont enter the room. I was focused on Sam. I saw Sam grip the handles of the wheelchair and the foot of his non-injured leg move to the ground. I thought he was in pain based on a half second flash of Sam's face."

"But then I was falling and my head hit the window and smashed it into pieces. I was dazed a bit as the glass pellets rained down on us. I was just beginning to wonder what caused Sam to jump at his father when I saw Sam roll off him and assume a crouched ready position in front of us. At first I wondered why then I saw Mr. Dupont with the gun."

Spike stopped a moment gathering his thoughts "Sam was in protection mode at that point."

Blather stood "I object Your Honor. Constable Scarlatti cannot know what mode Constable Braddock was in?"

Justice Christenson turned to Spike and asked "What makes you say he was in protection mode?"

Gibbson suppressed a smile, Blather was so damned clueless.

Spike answered "I've seen it a few dozen times on hot calls and hundreds of times in hand to hand combat training sessions in the years we have been teammates. It's the stance he takes when he is unarmed and is putting himself between a subject and an innocent. I asked him about the stance when he first joined the team and he told me it was his protection mode stance. Something a JTF2 buddy named Ripsaw taught him."

"Overruled. Please continue Constable Scarlatti" Justice Christenson said satisfied with the answer.

Taking a moment to recall where he was at Spike caught the eye of Blaze. He saw the nod and slight grin from him. "So Sam was in protection mode and I saw Dupont move forward then he said to Sam 'ready to die now brat? You should've died in that burnt out house you were hiding in all those years ago. Yeah I knew you were there the first night you ran away. Figured you'd die if I left you there, especially when I took most the food and water from you when you fell asleep that first night. But I couldn't help myself. You were my first boy and I just couldn't bring myself to do it then. But now?"

Squeezing the putty not because he was nervous now but because he was angered by the memory Spike stated "Dupont raised the gun and Sam tackled him to prevent him from firing in our direction. I was stunned that Sam could move given his injuries. It had to hurt a whole hell of a lot to be standing there. Let alone push off on his leg to tackle Mr. Dupont."

"As I was trying to get to my feet to help restrain Mr. Dupont I looked at the General. When I did I saw the bullet hole between us in the wall. A few inches either way we would have been hit. Sam knocking us down prevented that. Then I was up and helping to move Sam away from Mr. Dupont."

"We were trying to calm Sam down and to stop his bleeding. Wordy was applying pressure to his arm and Ed was trying to stop the flow of blood from his thigh. It was seeping through his fingers. Sam got hurt saving me and his father."

Gibbson gave Spike a small nod to indicate he did good then asked "In all the years you have worked with Constable Braddock have you ever seen him present any symptoms of PTSD, unstable moods or outbursts without provocation?"

"No I have not" Spike answered.

"Have you ever known him to launch himself at another person for the purpose of protecting someone?"

Spike laughed "Oh Yeah. Pisses Ed off big-time when Sam thinks more of other's safety than his own. There was this one time he was five stories up and he ran along the wall and launched himself at the subject who was on a fire escape and aiming a gun at a teammate. If he hadn't knocked into the guy Leah would have been dead. She wasn't in a position to protect herself. Wait that one was launching himself at the subject."

"Oh I know, in that same call he ran after the subject for two miles and when he and Jules cornered the subject in an alley he launched himself at Jules when the subject turned the gun on her and fired. He was grazed by the bullet. Then there was this time where three teenage girls were in the direct line of fire of a man with a semi-automatic. He went to the red zone and as Parker called out Scorpio Ed called out no joy. Sam launched himself at the girls knocking them down just before the subject opened fire. He saved all three of them that day. Then there was …"

Spike trailed off before he started another example "Like I said, yes I've seen it numerous times. It's what Samtastic does; he goes above and beyond to protect people."

Gibbson chuckled a bit "Would you please clarify for the court who you mean when you say Samtastic?"

Spike blushed "Um Sorry. Samtastic is the nickname I gave Sam on his first day with the team. We were running him through the shoot house and he nailed the ten out of ten shots he was told to make and when Ed threw in an eleventh he didn't hesitate. It was Samtastic."

Light laughter was heard in the court and even Justice Christenson found it difficult not to smile.

Thinking that was good to leave Spike's testimony on a positive note Gibbson said "No further questions at this time."

Justice Christenson asked "Does the Crown wish to cross examine?"

Blather stood "From the video it took six men to pull Constable Braddock off of Mr. Dupont and he was fighting to get back to get back to him. It took some time to calm Constable Braddock down. What was said to calm him?"

Spiked squeezed the putty. This question was a minefield. "Several of us told him to calm down. Ed ordered him to stand down. His father told him to stay still he was hurt. I think he was too deep in the protect mode and affected by the fear the odor caused in him. I finally got through when I told him his teammate needed him. That she was hurt and needed him."

Blather inquired "Why would that break through is uncontrolled rage?"

Spike heard the question and needed to mitigate the term uncontrolled he answered "I would call it focused anger not uncontrolled. I mean the man had been stalking him with the cameras in the hospital. Dupont had beaten him repeatedly when he was a child. He had just threatened to kill Sam and had just fired at and hit Sam twice. That cologne Dupont wore triggered intense fear in Sam stemming from when he was a helpless, defenseless child being beaten by Dupont. There was cause for his anger. It was not an unprovoked attack."

"As to why hearing a teammate needed him got through? I can only venture to guess from what I know about Sam. He is a protector. If someone he cares about, and he cares about the entire team, is in need he will put aside his own needs to help them" Spike concluded.

Spike looked out at the observers. He saw the Braddock uncles and cousins. Looks of admirations for his words were clearly written on their faces. He saw Kyle surreptitiously give him double thumbs up along with a huge grin.

Blather was fuming inside. They were twisting everything around. At the beginning of his testimony he thought it would be easy to manipulate this man because he seemed so nervous. But he had just thwarted his question. Dammit why did Sundqvist have to die? He was no good in criminal trials. He was out of his league here. Simple accident victim cases were more his thing.

He stood and stated "The prosecution has no further questions for Constable Scarlatti."

Spike sat down next to Kyle. Kyle lean over and whispered "Good job Spike. I'm glad Sam's got you in his corner. You didn't let that idiot Blather twist things around."

Gibbson stood as Spike left the witness chair and said "Your Honor if the court pleases the defense would like a brief recess to see if Constable Braddock is able to return."

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Sam's Room**_

Spike lightly knocked then opened the door "Hey Jules. I came to check if Sam was awake yet and if he is able to return."

Jules motioned him to come close. She whispered "He's been starting to stir but not quite there yet."

"Okay I'll let them know. Do you need anything while I'm out there?" Spike inquired.

Jules grinned "Could use a refill on tea."

Spike grabbed the glass "You got it. See you later. I'll send someone back in with it so I can return to the hearing."

"Thanks Spike."

A few minutes later General Braddock entered with the tea. Speaking softly he asked "How's my boy?"

"Resting easy" Jules answered and took a long drink of tea. "How's it going in the hearing?"

The General smiled "Well I think. Blather is a blithering idiot. He behaves like he is surprised at mine and Spike's testimony. It's as if he had never read our statements. The man is totally out of his depth here. Little early to count our chickens but I'm fairly certain all charges will be dropped."

"I'm hopeful that Samuel will be able to keep the assault private and out of these proceedings like he wants. Blather has yet to ask in cross exam what Dupont meant by my first boy. He also had not caught on that a man with a BCD would not be able to get work in the security field. Nor has he noticed that we never say Dupont's first name. Can't wait to see his face when that comes out."

"Well I should head back in. Yvonne told me she would check on you two shortly" the General said as he headed for the door then closed it behind him.

Standing outside the door General Braddock overheard Jules say to a sleeping Samuel "See nothing to worry about. We all have your back. You just need to focus on getting better and getting back to where you belong." As he strode toward the library he thought to himself, Samuel you better not let this woman go, she is a keeper.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Library**_

Gibbson informed the Justice that Sam was not ready yet then he called Greg, Ed, Wordy, Hound, Shakespeare and Shade to the stand to give their testimony. The more people that testified the more flustered Blather became. He began making stupid objections to the point that Justice Christenson admonished him to think fully before objecting.

Greg, Ed and Wordy all gave testimony that corroborated Spike's statements about how Sam was calmed down. Ed testified on his conversations with Cami about the camera placements. Blather tried to get each to confirm it was out of control or unprovoked behavior with trick questions. None of them fell for it and did similar to Spike's answer further strengthening that there was just cause to take down Dupont.

Hound and Shade added their perspectives to what happened in the assessment room. How neither had the right angle or was close enough to react in time to prevent Dupont from firing. A thoroughly baffled Blather made and open statement that he didn't realize there was anyone else in the room. That statement generated a scowl from the Justice.

Shakespeare and Hound gave statements of the facts surrounding Sam and Dupont during the time when Sam was in Dupont's care as an eleven year old child. How they found Sam and the condition he was in after twelve days exposed to the elements without adequate food or water.

They both explained how they had to gently coax from Sam what happened to him because he was so fearful. Shakespeare and Hound described how withdrawn and fearful Sam had become over the three month's in Dupont's care. But they kept quiet on the sexual assault elements because only Sam could provide testimony on that because anything they could say would be hearsay.

After all the testimony was given Gibbson sent Spike to see if Sam was awake and ready to testify.

Spike returned and whispered to Gibbson "Yes. Sam is awake and ready. His pain is under control now."

Gibbson stood "Your Honor Constable Braddock is prepared to return and give testimony now."

Justice Christenson thought several things were peculiar with this case. Not a single one testifying used Mr. Dupont's first name. There also seemed to be something everyone was skirting but he could not determine what it was. He was hoping Braddock's testimony would address those issues. As it was he was nearly inclined to dismiss the charges. But until he heard directly from Braddock on his state of mind he would refrain from doing so.

He stated "The court will take a brief recess so that the court room can be configured to allow Constable Braddock appropriate seating." He stood and the rest of the room stood too. Many filed out to get quick refreshment.

Christenson sought out General Braddock "Sir. If there is a more comfortable chair for Constable Braddock please arrange for it to be paced in the witness area. The court does not wish to further add to his discomfort as it did earlier disregarding the pain medication timetable."

The General nodded and went off to get Scott and Zach to help him moving in the small loveseat that would allow Samuel to sit without too much pressure on his thighs.

.

* * *

 _ **AN:** __Hope you are enjoying this story._ _To all readers who are posting reviews that are not showing up on fanfiction. I am receiving them via email but it appears there is an issue on fanfiction site where they are not visible._


	20. Recess Reactions & Sam's Testimony

**Recess Reactions & Sam's Testimony  
**

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Library**_

Court was still in recess when Sam was settled on the small couch that had been placed in the witness area. Justice Christenson was still in the room but most were taking the opportunity for restroom breaks or to grab coffee, tea or soda that the Braddock's had provided.

Christenson had been reviewing the files as he watched Mrs. Braddock direct the young Master Seaman and Master Corporal. One hurried off to get a small table that was placed near the couch so she could set down a plastic travel mug. The other raced off and came back with a few pillows. He saw the motherly concern as she tucked the pillows behind his back, under is left knee and in his lap to support his left arm which was now in a sling.

He observed the accused. The young officer was still pale and he had heard stifled hisses when Mason settled him into the couch. He grinned at the name Mason, so much easier to say he thought. Christenson had been surprised that Mason had simply carried in Constable Braddock not using a wheelchair. But the hiss of pain when he was lowered to the couch explained it. Transferring into and out of the wheelchair would have been painful.

The Justice then watched as the men who identified themselves as his former JTF2 mates all came forward with genuine looks of concern. He saw the one called Major Blain crouch down in front of Braddock. He watched as the man slipped something small into Braddock's right hand. He couldn't see what it was but a lopsided grin played on Braddock's face. He saw as Braddock transferred whatever it was into his left hand that was nearly covered by the sling and heard him say "Tell Ben thanks and I'm sure it will help."

As they left he watched the SRU team gather around him. Again he saw concern on all their faces. They all squeezed his shoulder or patted it. They were speaking softly and he did not overhear words. So when light laughter erupted he wondered at the cause.

The group made room when Dr. Mallard approached and handed the officer medication and a glass of water to wash it down. Then he adjusted the sling and he overheard the doctor say "Now this stays on. I do not care that you do not want to appear weak. If you want to recover properly and be able to shoot again you will follow my instructions. No more shenanigans my boy. Have I made myself clear?" He saw Braddock nod yes.

As the whole clan Braddock approached him the SRU team broke off and headed to the seating area. Christenson was impressed by the show of family support. Hell he was impressed by the sheer number of ranking military men. They were in every branch. He wondered what a wall of valor as he clerk had called it would look like if commendations from the entire Braddock clan were displayed. Poor Ms. Rowan had taken to gawking at the young Braddocks. She was lucky her boyfriend wasn't here to see her acting like a giddy schoolgirl.

He shook himself away from watching them and refocused on the file in front of him. There had been a lot of testimony given that supported a provoked attack and self-defense. He wondered yet again how charges had been filed with such poor discovery. He would never know because the attorney that filed them and the supervisor that signed off on them were both dead. Tragic really. He had wondered why the attorney had missed the plane this morning.

Christenson smiled as he thought of the disaster that Isaac Glover had missed by a hairs breath. The man looked so relieved when he named Mr. Blather acting Crown Attorney. Blather for his part was a complete muckup. Granted he wasn't expecting to present the case but to not have read the statements from those involved, sheer stupidity. He recognized the type though, glorified ambulance chasers. He had no problem putting lawyers like that in their place.

He checked his watch. About five minutes left before recalling the session. He got up to visit the restroom and grab some coffee. As he started to head out he overheard General Braddock quietly say "No Blather has not asked for clarification on what Dupont meant by my first boy. It's completely up to you Samuel. You know it makes no difference to us. You are the same person you have always been in our eyes. We stand behind and support your decision either way son."

There it was again Christenson thought. There was some issue that was being danced around. Quite effectively he might add. Why? Did it have a bearing on this case? Was Blather smart enough to ferret it out? Probably not.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Study**_

Commander Holleran took a seat in his favorite chair as Deputy Chief Barnes move toward him and sat down in the chair next to him with a soda. Speaking quietly Barnes said "I noticed that everyone testifying has omitted Dupont's first name. When do you think the defense will get around to mentioning it?"

Holleran replied flatly "When Gibbson and Rudolph believe it is necessary. I suspect it would have already been known if Sam was feeling up to testifying earlier."

Barnes rubbed his face "I'm just sick about all this. I cannot wait for this farce to be over so the department can make a formal statement. This has gone on way too long. No officer should have to endure this."

"That is true. None of this would have occurred if Captain Brunello did not go off halfcocked. I expect he will be dealt with appropriately for his misconduct that resulted in harm both physical and emotional to another officer" Holleran said quietly but harshly.

Nodding Barnes said "Yes he will. It is part of the reason Fulco, Kaylock and Caldwell are here today. Once the hearing is completed and Braddock is exonerated, as I expect he will be. General Braddock has graciously allowed the department the library to conduct our internal affairs hearing. Once that is done we will determine the appropriate statement to the press."

Norm responded "Good. About damned time." The two men sat in silence in their own thoughts as others milled about the room.

Blather stood drinking a soda but needing some liquid courage. He wondered if the Braddock's had any alcohol in the study. He covertly looked around and saw a bottle of bourbon on the shelf. It would be nice if he could sneak some. But there were too many people in the room.

Instead he went looking for an ally and sidled up to Mr. Glover. Blather asked "You read the files. Any advice you might give me? It looks like they are twisting things around. I'm afraid Braddock is going to get away with aggravated assault."

Isaac looked down his nose at the man "Give up and withdraw the charges. Braddock should have never been charged in the first place. Clearly there is a history there and Dupont threatened him. Braddock was well within his rights to defend himself against an armed attacker."

Blather started to say something but Glover preempted him "Excuse me. I need to speak with Chief Alnwick" and walked away.

Eyeing the bourbon again Blather leaned against the wall. Everything was unraveling. At this rate he would not even be able to go after Braddock in a civil trial. In fact it was looking more like Braddock could go after Dupont. Hell Dupont might even be facing criminal charges. He was so screwed.

Blather consoled himself with the thought that there was still Braddock himself to testify. If he could enrage him he could show the court he was irrational and a threat. How best to do that he wondered? He saw Brunello lurking in a corner he headed for him.

Isaac Glover approached Chief Alnwick who was in a conversation with Kaylock, Caldwell and Fulco. "Excuse the interruption sir" he said to the Chief.

"Yes" Chief Alnwick responded as all four men looked at the prosecution lawyer.

"I understand that the proceedings are not closed and the judge has not ruled. However, my personal sense of honor compels me to tell you I have heard enough evidence that I believe the Crown Attorney's office should open an investigation on Gaston Dupont. I wish I could ask ACA Sundqvist his reasons for bringing charges against Braddock but unfortunately that will never happen" Isaac stated.

The four were stunned. Not that he thought Braddock was innocent; they had each concluded that before they arrived today. But they were stunned the prosecuting attorney would say something like this mid-hearing.

Seeing the stunned faces Isaac added "I hate to see miscarriage of justice. I hate to see the law used for personal vendettas which this feels like to me. Granted I have no proof of that, yet. But the shocking lack of investigation before filing charges hints in that direction to me. I plan on contacting my superior tomorrow and informing him of today's proceedings. I am sure he will be contacting the new Toronto CA shortly to begin an investigation as to why the charges were filed and possibly open a case against Dupont."

The four nodded as Isaac Glover turned and left the room. Chief Alnwick voiced softly "I'll be damned." He turned to Kaylock "So how screwed is the Department."

Kaylock was grim faced as he said "Depends on Braddock."

Captain Brunello was making himself fade into the background as much as possible. Hell he wished he could find a liquor cabinet. He had arrested the wrong man from all the testimony he had now heard. Blather was heading for him. He ducked out of the room and headed for the bathroom not wanting to speak with the idiot who had swayed him to arrest Braddock.

He had no good excuse for his rash behavior. He had assumed so many things and been impetuous and jumped to conclusions without facts. Brunello was brought up short when he ran into a wall of man. He looked up, and up slowly knowing who he had run into. It was the giant man that scared the crap out of him.

Brunello swallowed hard and nervously apologized for running into the man "I'm sorry."

Mason scowled and gave the man a hard menacing glare "Yes you are." Mason stepped to the side and continued on his way thinking yes you are a sorry excuse for a man. He had to fight hard to control the urge to pick the man up and shake him like a rag doll for what he had done to Blondie.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Library**_

Sam watched as everyone entered and took their places. He glanced down at his left hand and saw the little orange foot of Ben's stuffed Donald Duck sticking out. He used his fingers to draw it in more so it did not show. Blaze had told him when he was feeling a little stronger that he would bring Ben for a visit. Sam was looking forward to that.

He and the whole team had laughed when Wordy told them how many more cards Allie, Holly and Lilly had made. He would hand them over later. Wordy also said Holly and Lilly were a little miffed with Allie because they wanted to keep the number of cards equal for Sam, Jules and Spike but Allie just kept making more for Sam and they couldn't keep up.

Ed joked that Wordy could go into the greeting card business. Spike had retorted playfully that it wouldn't be too profitable because the only card available would be a get well soon Uncle Prince Charming card and something quirky about child labor laws. Spike was so funny sometimes. He knew how to get them all to laugh and release tension.

The team and the unit had lifted his spirits. He hated to admit to himself that he was nervous and that their outward show of support really helped. Then his father, uncles and cousins gathered around and gave him last minute words of support. That felt good too.

Now he had to decide whether to reveal the sexual assault. Doing so now would lend credence to Sally Jackson's case. She had relayed to him she was having trouble making a case because the victims didn't recall his face or the cologne. She wanted to talk to him later about it.

Sam wondered if the last thing he remembered about the tattoo could be helpful to her. He would tell her later. Then a thought struck him. He might have to reveal that anyways to prove it was Gerard and not Gaston that attacked them. He felt his stomach turn a bit thinking about having to reveal it.

But Jules's words to him about not being embarrassed about something that was not his fault rang in his head. If god forbids Logan had been successful he wouldn't want her embarrassed by it. Hell what happened to her when she was sixteen was not her fault and he'd never think any different about her about that.

Logically he could see that he should not be embarrassed. But telling that to his stomach was quite another matter. He glanced down and saw Jules had put the small waste can near him like she said she would. Sam hoped he would not need it.

Sam's eyes landed on the small table, he grabbed his mug of 'mom's water' and grinned. Mom snuck him some coffee even though Dr. Mallard didn't want him having caffeine yet. Sam took a long drink of his iced coffee then set the travel mug down as Justice Christenson called the hearing back to order.

He saw Blather glaring at him. The man surely didn't know what was about to hit him. He wondered how the man would react. Sam also noticed Brunello slouched down in his chair in the back row. There was a distinct look of discomfort and some regret on the Captain's face. Interesting.

Sam took a deep breath, held it, and then slowly released it. He repeated it several times. He could get through this.

Justice Christenson handed the floor back to the defense and Gibbson stood to address Sam "Before proceeding with questioning counsel wishes to know if the accused is feeling well enough to testify."

Sam responded "I'm fine." He saw half the occupants of the room stiffen. He felt bad saying it and worrying them but he was under oath and could not lie.

Not knowing the significance of that answer Gibbson nodded then started "Constable Braddock the court has heard several witnesses testify on what occurred in the physical therapy assessment room. Your full statement has been entered into evidence. Therefore I will not ask you to recount in detail but highlight areas only you can speak to. To that point, what prompted you to throw yourself at your father?"

One more deep breath, a squeeze of the stuffed duck Sam answered "I had just calmed when the odor of lime, musk and cedar filled the room. I knew he was the head of security at the hospital. I knew it was him. I knew Gerard Dupont entered the room by the scent. Then I saw the reflection of a …"

Blather heard the wrong name. Yeah something he could glom onto and use against Braddock. He quickly stood and nearly shouted in his excitement "I object Your Honor. The accused just named the victim as Gerard Dupont. His name is Gaston Dupont. Clearly the accused is confused or disoriented by his pain medication and the court must be suspect of his testimony today."

Justice Christenson looked to Sam and blandly asked "Constable Braddock did you mean Gaston Dupont?"

Sam looked at the judge and firmly stated "No Your Honor. I meant Gerard Dupont, the twin brother of Gaston Dupont."

Confused Christenson asked "Twin brother? Please explain."

Maintaining his look at the judge Sam explained "Gerard Dupont has an identical twin brother named Gaston."

Blather was reeling at the surprise of a twin. "What the hell?" he blurted out. Then irritated and confused by Braddock's answer Blather spoke directly to Braddock instead of the court as he should "But it was Gaston you attacked. Gaston Dupont is the head of security at the hospital not Gerard."

Sam turned to Blather "No Sir. Gerard Dupont was the head of security using his brother's name. They swapped identities after Gerard's BCD. With a BCD Gerard could not work in the security field. Gaston was about to start chef school when they switched and enrolled as Gerard. Gerard assumed Gaston's name and got a job at a hospital as a security guard."

Totally knocked off kilter Blather burst out out again at Braddock "You are making this up to confuse the court and get away with aggravated assault."

Justice Christenson rigidly admonished "The Crown Attorney shall address the court and not the accused. You will have your opportunity to ask questions not hurl accusations when you cross examine the witness. Furthermore the Crown Attorney shall restrain himself and show proper decorum and respect within my court."

Blather sat down red faced at the rebuke from the Justice.

Isaac leaned over and whispered "I told you to give it up." That just made Blather angrier.

Christenson turn to Gibbson his tone returning to his normal justice voice "Does Defense counsel have proof of the statements the witness has made?"

Kingsley Randolph stood "Yes Your Honor we do. I have statements here from several sources that corroborate Constable Braddock's statements that I'd like to enter into evidence at this time. Most notably, the defense has a statement from the real Gaston Dupont detailing how the brother's switched names."

Blather thought his head exploded. He actually reached up a hand to see if it was still attached to his shoulders. They had a statement from the man's own brother? He was so screwed. He had been lied to by Dupont. What the hell was he going to do now?

He would have to listen carefully to see if there was something to pick apart in cross examination. He grimaced as he thought identical twins. Then he grasped at the only hanging threads he could find.

The first thread was that maybe the brother was lying to screw with Gaston. Not all families got along. Blather knew his family was a prime example of that. He could see his brother Wayne doing something like this to him just to screw with his career. Hell if Harold hadn't killed himself with an overdose he would do it too.

The second thread was how Braddock could be sure which one it was. They were identical twins after all. Not even DNA could be used to point to one versus the other. Braddock barely saw the man before he attacked him. Also he had not seen the man since he was a child. How could he be sure it was Gerard and not Gaston?

Blather decided would have to listen very closely to Braddock's testimony then begin to poke holes into it. That shouldn't be too hard he thought. He sat back and tried to focus and release his frustration caused by his case burning down around him.

Mike took the statements to Ms. Rowan who logged them and then handed them to the Justice.

Christenson took time to read the statements. He now understood at least part of what seemed off to him. Prosecution had no clue there was a twin. It was clear absolutely no investigation had been done to verify Gaston Dupont's, no wait Gerard Dupont's statement. He shook his head; he hated cases involving identical twins. Things were always very difficult to prove.

How could Braddock be sure which one it was especially if he was a child of eleven when he last saw him. Maybe by the time they were done it would make sense to him.

Right now Christenson only had the words of people that watched what occurred. He needed to hear what Braddock had to say about his actions. Were Braddock's actions justified? How the hell did he know someone entered the room? What made him think there was a threat that precipitated him lunging at his father?

Those were questions of guilt more suited to a trial he thought. Hell, this whole preliminary hearing felt more like a trial. Defense typically did not present evidence and witnesses. If he only had the prosecution's side he would have instantly held this over for trial. What was the defense reason for presenting testimony here?

Christenson wondered again at the undercurrent. There was still something not out in the open. The General's words came back to him. It was something Constable Braddock did not want made public. General Braddock was a good strategist; no way couldn't he be to reach the level of General of the Special Forces. He must know that preliminary hearings could be sealed but that they could also offer credence to other matters because testimony was given under oath.

Justice Christenson decided to allow the defense to present their confusing case. He stated "Overruled. The court will allow reference to Gerard Dupont by Constable Braddock during testimony as that is who the constable believes was involved. However, the court will need proof of which Dupont brother was involved. Defense counsel will you be able to provide such evidence before you conclude your case?"

Randolph answered "Yes Your Honor."

"Then proceed with your examination" said the Justice.

Rudolph sat down and Gibbson stood "Constable Braddock you state you smelled lime, musk and cedar. Did that have some significance for you?"

"Yes Sir. It was the scent of cologne that Sergeant Gerard Dupont wore. I will never forget the smell" Sam answered.

Gibbson asked "Why?"

Squeezing the duck hard to quell his emotion Sam responded "It is the smell I associated with intense fear. Sergeant Dupont was always doused in it when he beat me. When I was eleven Gerard Dupont slapped me, whipped me with a belt, punched me, knocked me down stairs and subjected me to humiliation by not allowing me to use the facilities to the point I soiled myself. In addition to the physical abuse he subjected me to emotional abuse. He repeatedly told me that my father did not care for me, that I was a worthless brat and would never measure up to my father's standards and that I should just die."

Blather's jaw dropped open. He was totally screwed now. His house of cards was burning around him and there was no escape.

Blaze roared inside. He had heard the General tell about Dupont and the court-martial earlier but he did not go into this level of detail. If he ever got his hands on Dupont he would have more than just a broken jaw. The man would wish he had died. No one hurt Blondie like that and got away with it.

Winds leaned into Blaze as his hand solidly restrained him from rising. His voice strained with the anger he was forcing a clamp onto he hissed out in a low "Not now, not here Blaze but soon and quietly."

Blaze turned to his friend his eyes on fire. Winds held the look. They silently communicated. Justice for Blondie. Winds slowly relaxed his grip on Blaze. Both men inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly several times trying to regain their equilibrium.

Captain Brunello bent his head in shame for what had he done.

Mason who was seated next to Blondie stared at him in disbelief. The pain he felt for what Blondie endured showed on his face and his eyes watered. He was not able to contain softly whispered words "That bastard. That fucking bastard. Blondie that's not true. You are not worthless, you more than measure up. That bastard was wrong."

Sam met Mason's eyes and nodded then whispered to him "I know that Mason."

Gibbson had paused to allow all that to sink in for the judge then he asked "So the scent alerted you to the presence of Gerard Dupont. Please continue to answer my question. What made you move to protect your father and teammate?

Sam returned his gaze to the justice "I saw a reflection in the window. It was a quick flash of light on metal. I saw Gerard Dupont raising the gun at my father. I knew I had to act to save him. There wasn't time to tell him to duck or move. Being in a wheelchair I didn't have many options. The only one that I had was to put myself between Dupont and my dad and hopefully knock us both out of the line of fire."

"What made you rise up after you hit the floor?" Gibbson asked.

"Training, survival instinct, adrenaline. Dupont still had a gun and he had fired it once already. The threat still existed. I had no choice. I had to protect them. The wind was knocked out of my dad and his head had hit the wall. I was sure that dazed him. Spike had hit his head on the window so hard the glass shattered. He was surely to be concussed by that. It was up to me to save them" Sam answered.

"And after you assumed your protect mode stance what was going through your head?" Gibbson inquired.

Sam squeezed the duck and answered truthfully knowing it would convict him but he could do nothing else. If all he had left was his honor after this it would have to be enough. He could not go against his nature and lie "I thought that man is dead. I was not going to allow Dupont to harm another person. I was going to kill the bastard. Consequences be damned."

Blather smiled and wrote down a note thinking got you now bastard. You just signed your conviction papers.

Gibbson's heart sank. Ah Christ Sam that is not what we discussed. Damn your sense of honor. Now was not the time to be brutally honest.

Justice Christenson actually flinched at the words. Had the Constable actually admitted to wanting to kill the man? What kind of defense strategy was this? He had been ready to throw the case out.

Wordy's face fell. He wished they could have let Sam finish him off that day. But they couldn't. Sam was a better man than that. Sam would never have been able to live with himself if he had killed Dupont. Hell Sam's words right now showed that he felt he crossed the line. Sam would have kept those thought to himself and answered differently if he felt what he had done was acceptable.

Gibbson scrambled to see how he could mitigate this. He asked "Constable Braddock, what effect did the words Mr. Dupont say have on you?"

Sam thought a moment "His first statement surprised me. I thought I had gotten away from him and he could not hurt me as I hid out in the burnt out house. If he knew I was there he could have hurt me again. I was surprised he just left me there to die instead of hurting me again."

Gibbson decided to expand on this to bring some perspective "What were you thinking when you were a child in that house?"

Blather stood "I object Your honor. That is of no relevance to this case."

Gibbson countered "Your Honor it will go to show the impact on my client's mental state at the time of the incident."

Justice Christenson stated "Overruled. Keep it relevant though Mr. Gibbson we are not trying the case here this is an evidentiary hearing."

Blather sat and Gibbson said "Officer Braddock your answer please."

Looking out to the observers Sam sought his father. He locked eyes with him and a sad look crossed his face as he answered "I was scared Dupont would find me and hurt me again. I tried to stand up to him but I was too little and weak to defend myself. With one punch he coldcocked me. I ran away because I could not allow him to hurt me like that again. I thought that if I ran away my dad would come home to find me and keep me safe from Sergeant Dupont."

A virtual knife sliced through the General's heart at those words. But he held his gaze steady on Sam. He knew Sam was drawing strengthen from him through their connection. As much as it pained him he would hold fast and not break the connection.

Sam testified in an emotionless monotone "I used my survival training and gathered enough supplies to last weeks. I took a route that Private Brock, now Chief Warrant Officer Brock, and I had traveled several times. I knew it was a safe route because Brock always made sure we stayed in safe places. I remembered the burnt out house and thought it would give me some shelter while I waited for my dad to come rescue me."

"I ran hard to get to it not knowing when Sergeant Dupont would discover I was gone. I knew he would have a vehicle so I had to get there as fast as I could and hide. I was about two miles away from it when I twisted my ankle. I could not stand so I crawled the remaining two miles."

Emotion crept into Sam's voice and it trembled as he stated "Once I made it there I hid. I knew deep down that my father cared for me regardless of the months he was gone and all the things Dupont said to me. I cried for my dad often while I waited for him to find me. I lost track of the days. As I ran out of food then water I knew I was going to die there before my dad could find me."

There was now a course roughness to his voice as he recalled his feelings in the burnt out house "The last few days when I had no more water all I felt was fear. Some fear that I was going to die. But more fear that Dupont would find me and hurt me again. I was glad I ran away though. Because I'd rather die than be hurt like that again."

Blather heard that last statement. He'd rather die than get beaten up again? Odd. He scribbled a note for cross examination.

Jules leaned into Spike. This was so hard to hear. Her heart was breaking for Sam. All she wanted to do right now was to hold him tightly and tell him she was glad he lived. She wished she could comfort that scared little boy.

Spike put his arm around Jules and pulled her close. His mind was racing and his feelings of concern and worry were openly showing on his face. Sam clearly had not dealt with the repressed memories yet; the rawness of his voice told him that. Sam would need time and help. He vowed to be there to help him in any way he could.

Greg reached out and patted Jules's knee. The General had told them in essence what happened but hearing this part from Sam made him want hit Dupont too. Greg realized that Sam still felt he had crossed some line and owned up to his actions like he always did. He hoped the judge could see reason and would dismiss the charges. In his mind, and most everyone else's, there was ample evidence showing it was self-defense.

Ed sat rigidly upright. What the hell was Sam thinking opening the door with statements like those? He was going to have to have yet another talk to him about unacceptable risks. God dammit Samo! His gut was churning. How was the prosecution going to go after him in cross examination? He was worried for Sam.

Very worried. He knew Sam did not want to publicly air the sexual assault. Ed was now hoping that Blather remained an idiot and did not ask questions that required Sam to reveal the abuse. How would Sam handle it if he was required to do so? Would the impact be too great? Would they lose him from the team? God he hoped not. Because just like he told Spike, the team wasn't the same without him.

Taking a moment to think on what Sam said Gibbson pretended to look over his notes. All but the last statement kept to the realm of the beatings. He hoped Blather did not pick up on the last statement. He prayed he could move Sam away from making any more comments like that.

He then asked "What did you think when you heard his last part of the statement about leaving you there to die?"

Sam broke the connection with his dad as a spear of pain went through his leg. He shifted slightly to relieve the pressure and swallowed a groan. "I didn't really register his words at the time. Sure I heard them and I recall them now. But I was too focused on his body movements. He had already fired once. I was watching the gun. I knew I had to protect my father and Spike. I knew I could not take any steps. It was all I could do to maintain my position."

Toying with the duck in his hand Sam continued "I watched as he took a few steps towards me. He only needed to move a fraction more toward me and I would be able to tackle and disarm him. Then I saw the gun rising as Dupont moved just into range. I made my move. I couldn't allow Dupont to fire again."

Sam reached for his travel mug and took a sip of coffee and then sought out Jules. She gave him a soft smile. His eyes landed on Ed and he read in his eyes he was angry with him. Sam thought if I get out of this I'm certainly going to get a lecture from Ed on unacceptable risk. He grinned at that thought. Strange but actually that thought settled him down more than the concerned looks of Greg, Wordy and Spike.

Gibbson asked "What were you thinking when you were grappling with Gerard Dupont?"

"Survival" Sam answered.

"Survival?" Gibbson parroted back as a question.

Looking to the judge Sam answered "At first I told Dupont 'You're dead you sick son of a bitch'. Then I thought justice would be meted out like-in-kind for all the pain he had caused me and so many children. But in my peripheral vision I saw Dupont's hand on the gun. All of a sudden I was that little boy who was afraid, who wanted to stand up to his tormentor."

"The boy who knew the man had hurt him and others in unthinkable ways without any remorse. The boy who was left for dead and knew Dupont would not hesitate to kill him now. My survival instinct kicked in. So yeah, I was thinking, survival when I started punching him."

Blather sat back and gripped the table. Damn. Braddock was claiming self-defense and defense of others. But for some reason he could not let this go. He would still try to knock holes in that during cross examination.

Gibbson held in a smile as he thought good job Sam. Honesty all the way was a good strategy, you had me scared for a moment. Owning up to feelings of wanting to kill him only strengthened you statements around self-defense. How could the prosecution even begin to say he was lying if he owned up to the first statement?

The General caught Samuel's eye. The look he gave his son was pure pride. Samuel could probably teach him a thing or two about strategy.

They were in the home stretch now Gibbson thought. He asked "You continued to struggle when you were pulled off of Dupont. Why?"

Sam answered "I was deep in survival fight mode."

"What finally brought you out of that mode?" Gibbson asked.

Blowing out a deep breath Sam responded "A few things. Adrenaline only takes you so far. It was gone and exhaustion and pain were making themselves known. The rushing sounds of adrenaline ebbed away and allowed me to begin to hear those around me."

"I heard my teammate was hurt and needed help. Then I registered my boss. Sarge was there holding me down when he should be with Jules. They all were there Ed, Wordy, and Spike. They all needed to be with Jules if she was hurt. She would need them. So I calmed down so they could leave and go to her."

Gibbson asked "Your only thought was the safety of your teammate?"

Sam took a sip of coffee before he answered "Yes and no."

"Please clarify what you mean" Gibbson stated.

"At first yes I wanted them to go to Jules. But then Sarge said the doctors were taking care of her and she would be okay. But then I saw my bloody hands. I was worried I had killed Dupont. Nothing made any sense at that point. I asked why it hurt so much. Wordy told me I had been shot."

"Everything hurt so much I couldn't even tell where. So I asked. My dad told me the thigh and arm. I was confused when I looked at my right thigh and didn't see blood. Then I looked at the left. I saw the blood seeping out between Ed's fingers. I couldn't breathe right. Ed helped guide me with sniper breathing. Everything is a bit of a blur after that. I know people talked to me and I responded but I really can't remember much clearly after that. I think shock was setting in."

Gibbson stood again "Do you recall waking up in cuffs?"

Sam looked at Gibbson. This wasn't one of the questions they had discussed "No Sir."

"Do you know how your shoulder was injured?" Gibbson queried.

"I have no personal recollection of it. I was told I struggled when I woke up restrained surrounded by several officers. That my struggles increased when an officer's hand held game laughed evilly and said 'you die now'" Sam answered. He was not quite certain what Gibbson was doing. But he trusted him.

Dale wasn't too happy about these questions but the General asked that they be included. He wanted the answers on record to fight the PTSD allegations. So he asked with concern in his voice "Can you tell the court why you might struggle so forcefully to get out of restraints?"

Squeezing the duck Sam replied "It likely made me recall bad memories."

"Such as?" Gibbson prodded hating to do so.

Sam closed his eyes, so much for not giving credence to those yelling PTSD. What was Gibbson doing? He answered "Most likely the months I was held hostage. I was often tied down at four points, spread eagle, as I was tortured. Those holding me captive would encircle me and laugh as I was beaten and tortured with needles."

Brunello wanted to curl up and die. Oh my god. There was nothing he could ever do to recompense the hurt he caused Braddock for his rash actions. I'm sorry would never be enough. It was absolutely clear to him now why the JTF2 guys looked like they wanted to rip off his head. Maybe he should let them do it.

Gibbson then asked "When you are awake do you ever recall those memories?"

Sam looked a Gibbson dumbfounded but answered "Yeah. Rarely though. That was a long time ago. I've dealt with it and moved on."

"Do you ever have nightmares of it?" Gibbson asked.

"At first, just after I was rescued, all the time. It was six months of hell. But my buddies helped me put it away and find the beauty of life. I haven't had one about it in years" Sam answered.

Gibbson smiled as he asked "Do you suffer from PTSD?"

Sam snorted "No Sir I do not. If I did I would not have passed every annual and requal psych evaluation I've taken to be a member of SRU. They are quite extensive evaluations."

Looking at the justice Gibbson said "The defense would like to enter into evidence statements from SRU psychologist Dr. Royce Marfont and independent psychologist Dr. Dawn Tansy. These statements confirm what Constable Braddock just stated. He does not suffer from PTSD. Dr. Tansy further states that Constable Braddock has remarkable and appropriate coping mechanisms."

Then Gibbson concluded his questioning of Sam "Your Honor no further questions at this time."

Justice Christenson asked "Does the Crown wish to cross examine?"

Blather stood "Yes Your Honor."

.

* * *

 _ **AN:** __As always, love to hear your feedback._


	21. 102, Odd Statements & Background Check

**102.3** **, Odd Statements & Background Check**

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Library**_

Justice Christenson checked his watch it was getting rather late in the afternoon. He had no idea how long the cross examination would take. Given the lengthy list of severe injuries Braddock had sustained and his condition earlier he wanted to ensure there were sufficient breaks for him.

He observed Braddock for a moment and saw him shift uncomfortably and his jaw clench. The man was still in pain. Hell, Braddock should still be in a hospital with those injuries. Christenson made a decision.

Christenson looked at Blather who was nervously waiting to start the cross examination on his call and said "The court will take a thirty minute recess before cross examination begins."

Blather was grasping at straws for his cross examination. The Justice's recess was a godsend. He needed time to regroup and determine what questions he was going to ask. He stood though and asked "Your Honor the Crown requests a copy of the statement from Constable Braddock and Gaston Dupont."

The Justice responded "Ms. Rowan please provide the requested copies to the Crown. We are in recess for thirty minutes."

Christenson almost laughed out loud watching the mass of people converge on Braddock checking on his well-being. He could not let that sway him but clearly the man was loved by many. He rose and headed to the study hoping to find at least some cold coffee because today had been long and was not over yet.

Blather went to Ms. Rowan and she printed off a copy of both on her portable printer. He thanked her and then grabbed his file off the table and headed for the study. There were simply too many adversaries in this room to think clearly.

Dr. Mallard made his way through the throng of people and interrupted "Sam how are you feeling?"

Sam was about to answer when Jim stepped forward "Shut it Sam. I don't want to hear whatever deflection you had in mind." He squatted down in front of him so they were eye to eye "So fine eh?"

"Yeah."

"Level?"

"Four."

"Nope! Try again. The truth this time" Jim said sternly and gave him the look.

"Alright, five with intermittent spikes to six. You happy?" Sam responded disgruntled.

There was a resounding "No" from everyone around him.

Jim took a long moment just looking at Sam.

Sam pulled on the neck of his shirt. It was getting awfully warm in here. Must be his nerves he thought as he squirmed under Jim's assessing glare. Nothing got by Jim, leastwise nothing about his health ever got passed Jim.

Jim asked "How long?"

Sam sighed "This afternoon."

"Just when were you planning to say something?" scolded Jim.

The crowd was at a loss for the context of the conversation. All except Blaze, Winds and Mason who had seen this type of exchange many times. They all three held back smirks, Blondie was busted. Nothing got passed Patch.

Sam was about to answer when Mason moved forward and scooped him up. "Dr. Mallard please follow us to Sam's room. Seems our patient has neglected to be fully truthful with us."

The group did not hear Sam's mumbled answer as Dr. Mallard, Jim and the General followed Mason as he carried Sam out of the room.

Jules wanted to follow badly but she could not. She turned to Blaze and asked "What was that all about?"

All gathered turned to him. Blaze grimaced then said "Blondie's hiding something. Not exactly sure what it is but Patch knows. Patch always knows with Blondie."

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Sam's Room**_

"Of all the stupid things you could do son. Why didn't you say anything? You should have told us" the General shouted.

Dr. Mallard stepped in and said "Sir calm down please."

Sam was lying on his back on the bed in his shirt and jacket but his pants down by his knees. He tried to respond around the thermometer that was in his mouth "I wam srr. It juut hrrt mmre."

Jim just looked at him and he shut his mouth. He knew no words until the thermometer was done. Sam flinched as Dr. Mallard probed the uncovered bullet wound in his left thigh. He didn't bother to stifle the groan of pain as the doctor's finger pressed on an especially sore spot. Damn that hurt.

Dr. Mallard gently pressed on and around the reddened inflamed wound. With another gentle press on an especially inflamed area a small amount of pus oozed from the wound. "It is definitely infected although we caught it early. I do not see any red streaking out from the wound that would indicate lymphangitis. I'll order a course of antibiotics to be delivered."

He reached into his bag and pulled out a small set of sterile instruments. "Sam this is going to hurt. I need to open the wound so the pus can drain and be cleaned out. I have a local anesthetic if you would like it but I know you are not keen on needles and it would be several sticks with the needle. It will be a small quick incision, a cleaning and a few sutures. The cleaning will likely be the most painful part. Do you want the local?"

Sam shook his head no. The doctor accepted his answer without question after hearing the testimony just a little bit ago regarding the torture. Dr. Mallard swabbed the wound and surrounding area with antiseptic pads.

Jim said "Wait a moment doc. Let me get the thermometer out before you do that or he's liable to bite it." He removed the thermometer and reported "102.3 elevated but not too high. Got any fever reducer doc?"

Dr. Mallard nodded towards his bag and Jim dug in it until he found the fever reducer. He popped open the container and shook out two pills. Jim handed them to Sam who dry swallowed them before Jim handed him a glass of water. Sam drank the whole contents at Jim's look.

Then Sam hissed in pain as the doctor made the incision. He groaned and clenched his jaw and fists as the doctor pressed gently to extrude the pus. The doctor made quick work of cleaning out the wound. Dr. Mallard put three sutures in then he applied a topical antibiotic and redressed the wound.

During all this General Braddock was pacing a small area in the room then stopped and looked at his son when the doctor finished.

The General demanded again more harshly than he intended mostly driven by concern "You should have told us. Why the hell did you hide this?"

Mirroring the pissed off tone Sam answered back "I didn't. Wasn't inflamed last night after my shower. It just hurt more is all. Thought this morning's shopping excursion was to blame. I didn't suspect until during my testimony when it started to hurt more at the slightest movement and the occasional shooting pain."

Sam's voice lost most of the pissed off tone as he reluctantly admitted "And I thought feeling warm was just nerves."

His father missed the dropping of Sam's tone on the last sentence. The General demanded again "Why didn't you say something about the pain? We could have stopped the hearing."

Sam shot back in the same tone as his father with added sarcasm "Yeah right! Excuse me judge I am a fucking wimp! We need to stop because I'm feeling a little warm and I have a few shooting pains in my leg."

"Exactly!" fired back his dad. Then William winced as he fully registered all the words Sam said. Wimp my ass he thought. Christ did Samuel really think that? How the hell could he think that? Samuel just had his thigh sliced open, cleansed and stitched without the benefit of anesthetic.

Sam dropped his head to the pillow and sighed. He didn't want to argue with his dad. He could tell he was just worried. Christ they butted heads over the stupidest things sometimes.

He sighed again and changed his tone. It was soft and honest "Dad, I just wanted to get the hearing over with okay. Not like a few hours would make a difference one way or the other on the infection. But at least I could get the damned thing over with."

William sat on the edge of the bed his tone softened too "I'm sorry son. I'm not angry, just worried about you. I would stop the hearing a hundred times if that's what you needed. You are not a wimp. Christ Samuel it's only been a few days since you were shot. You were shot four times in the last three weeks. Most men would still be in the hospital on a morphine drip."

Sam rolled his eyes "Yeah … well, we know how I feel about hospitals."

General Braddock chuckled "That we do."

Sam looked at his dad and said "I just want this over with."

His dad placed a hand on his arm "Soon. This finishes today. But Samuel, not at detriment of your health. Promise me that if you need a break for any reason you ask for it. We can work out a signal for Dale to watch for so he can break in and request a recess."

Sam was so tired again and just wanted to sleep. He knew it was partly physical, partly emotional and partly drug induced. But he needed to get this done so he nodded "Yeah I promise Dad."

General Braddock patted his arm "Good. Rest a bit. If you need more time just send Dr. Mallard to the judge." He turned to the doctor "When the antibiotics get here let Gibbson know so he can stop the proceedings so you can administer them." He stood and headed to the door "I'll just go let the others know what's up so they don't worry."

Sam closed his eyes. Jules was gonna be pissed at him. But it wasn't his fault. Hell he couldn't even undo and drop his own pants to check the wound. God he hated being so incapacitated. He was glad the brass had left the library before Mason picked him up like a little child and carried him off.

Mason's soft voice appeared to his left "Hey Blondie, ready to get dressed again?"

Sam opened his eyes and nodded. Mason helped slide his pants up, tuck his shirt in and buckle his belt.

When he was done Mason said "Sorry about in the library. I should have asked you instead of just picking you up."

Sam grabbed Mason's arm and said sincerely "Nothing to be sorry for. Thank you for all the help. I'd rather it be you than Cliff." Then he winked at Mason and quipped "He's nice and all but he's not my type Gorgeous."

Jim and Mason both laughed.

Mason deadpanned "And I am. Wow I'm flattered. I never knew you liked me like that Sunshine. I get to be the groom 'cause I can't see you carrying me over the threshold."

Jim added "Now Mason don't go gettin all your hopes up. Ya do know he's feverish."

Dr. Mallard smiled at the three laughing men as they continued to joke with each other. As he headed out of the room to make the call for antibiotics he thought laughter is good medicine. This young man surely needed laughter.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – General's Study**_

Justice Christenson sat in the corner observing the groups in the room while sipping fresh hot coffee that the wonderful Mrs. Braddock had brought in for them all. He noticed Blather was intent on the paperwork in front of him. The Chief, Deputy Chief and SRU Commanded were grouped together. Captain Brunello sat off to the side looking miserable like someone had kicked his puppy. The head of SIU and the two detectives were gathered by the wall of valor with Ms. Rowan.

He motioned for Harriet. When she approached he said "Harriet I believe the hearing is going to run longer than anticipated. Please make arrangements for a later flight back."

Harriet answered "I can do that. When I booked the flights here I noticed there was an eight pm and eleven pm flight. Which would you prefer?"

"Make it the eleven pm. That way we will be certain to meet it even if this goes even longer than I expect" Christenson said and then leaned back and closed his eyes resting a bit. Harriet nodded and hurried off to make the changes in their flights.

Blather sat in a corner of the study reviewing his notes and the statements of Braddock and Gaston Dupont. If he had any chance in hell of saving his career he had to prove there was enough evidence to hold this over for trial regardless of how the trial ended.

If Braddock was acquitted he could play a few different cards. He could infer the wealth and power of the Braddock family influenced the judgment. Possibly he could say that the untimely death of ACA Sundvqist adversely affected the case.

But he needed to get it to trial to save his ass. He had been all over the media with all kinds of stories. If it didn't at least go to trial his career would be toast. He began to wonder if he should have looked into Sundvqist's motivation for taking the case. He got the feeling he was not only duped by Dupont but also Sundvqist. As he looked things over a few things stood out.

One he did not believe was that Braddock smelled the cologne. That seemed too far-fetched. There was no way for Braddock to prove he saw a reflection. If he could prove Braddock could not smell the cologne then it would show that Braddock attacked his dad as Dupont said. That would then support Dupont's statement that he fired to protect the General and Constable Scarlatti.

After all, Dupont did hit Braddock instead of the others. He could show that Dupont had aimed to only graze Braddock to get him to stop. Then he could argue that having been shot and unable to push his father out the window Braddock turned his rage on Dupont. Kind of like a Hulk rage thing. That could work.

Then there was his admission he wanted kill Dupont. Could he capitalize on that statement? Braddock had freely admitted the intent before the quote survival mode kicked in. Blather could argue the survival mode claim was to cover up his tracks so to speak once Braddock realized he had just admitted he wanted to kill Dupont. He thought if the admissions were reversed it would be more credible.

One question niggled at him. Why did Braddock want to kill Dupont? There was something he was missing? Something about what Dupont said to him. There were a few odd statements Braddock made too.

Blather wrote down the odd statements.

' _My first boy'._ What did he mean by this? Strange comment.

' _Not going to allow Dupont to harm another person'._ That implies Dupont hurt others. Who did Braddock think he hurt and how did he hurt them?

' _Hurt me_ _like that_ _again.'_ Blather underscored 'like that'. What did Braddock mean by like that?

' _I'd rather die than be hurt __like that_ _again'_. Same line of thinking. What did that mean? Was it a reference to getting beaten up? Didn't seem quite right. Why would he rather die?

' _Hurt him and others in  unthinkable ways'._ Yet again there it was the hurt and others with a bit of a twist. Unthinkable ways? What could unthinkable ways mean?

Then Blather read Gaston Dupont's statement. This was no help at all. How could he discredit this statement? It seemed air tight with one exception. The man was guilty of switching identities if that is what truly happened. But he was accusing his brother of being obsessed with, stalking and willing to kill Braddock because he blamed him for the BCD.

His mind returned to the odd statements. My first boy, hurt him, unthinkable ways? He saw Detective Jackson with Specialized Criminal Investigations Unit. Gibbson would not say why she was here. Just on ongoing investigation with possible connections to this case. His mind raced back to the odd statements.

Light started to dawn. No. Maybe. No. No. The General would have killed Dupont. No couldn't be. My first boy. Intense fear. Running away. Wanted dad to protect him. I'd rather die than be hurt like that again. Yes. Yes. Oh god yes.

Braddock hadn't just been beaten he had been sexually assaulted as a child by Dupont.

Blather smiled as he checked his watch. Ten minutes left of recess. This was too good. How could he use this against Braddock to prove aggravated assault?

After five minutes watching this case and his career go up in flames with each scenario he played out in his head his mind switched gears. What would Braddock do to keep that quiet and out of the press? Hell what would the General do to keep it out of the press that he left his kid for three months in the hands of a pedophile? He had five minutes to figure out how.

The first thing that came to mind was he needed to ascertain if the sexual abuse was true. He needed to know what happened so he could use it to his advantage. If he wasn't gonna get rich off of a civil assault suit against Braddock there were other ways. He wondered just how much they would pay for him to keep silent. He rubbed his hands together as he smiled.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Hallway**_

Drake found the General in the hallway just outside Sam's room and intercepted him. "Sir, Cameo has finished the background check you requested."

General Braddock looked up at Drake "And?"

Handing the General a file Drake stated "It's him Sir. Cameo, Apollo and Pawn worked quickly and did some further investigation. You are not going to believe what they found out. It's all in this report Sir."

"Thank you" General Braddock said as he took the file and opened it. Drake headed back to the family room to stay with their guest thinking Sam had the worst luck ever.

He seethed at what he read. Those little shits. They jumped Samuel again so to speak. The General felt absolutely no sadness that Sundvqist was dead. The world was better off without someone like him in it.

The General read through what his men had uncovered. Sundvqist was one of the boys that jumped Samuel. He had been sent to the juvenile detention center until his eighteenth birthday. He never showed remorse for his actions and blamed Samuel for him being incarcerated.

According to Sundvqist's roommate and apparently grieving lover, Todd Morin the ringleader of the shower attack on Samuel, they wanted vengeance on Braddock for sending them to prison. Morin broke down and told Apollo that he and Sundvqist had been over the moon when Blather approached Sundvqist with the case.

General Braddock didn't want to think to hard on the tactics that Apollo might have used to break Morin. Apollo was damned good at extracting information from terrorists using solely psychological methods. He could quickly identify what motivated a person then exploit it to get the necessary information without ever touching them. It was a talent Apollo realized he had when he was assigned by Mason to assist in the physical therapy department years ago.

Morin told Apollo that Sundvqist had filed the charges based solely on Dupont's unverified statement because they hated Braddock. They saw this as a way to get back at him. Sundvqist then duped his boss into signing off on the charges by telling him that he had fully investigated the charges and it was a solid case.

Sundvqist drew on the CA's innate sense of justice and said that since it was a police officer attacking unprovoked they had to move quickly to prevent civil unrest. That the media had gotten ahold of the story and they needed to show the public that police officers were not given preferential treatment and were held accountable just like the public.

The General knew how it felt to be betrayed by people he trusted; Merrill came to mind. A small pang of sadness for the Crown Attorney raced through him. ACA Sundvqist had besmirched the CA's reputation with this case and now the man would never have a chance to right a wrong he was duped into. Sometimes life was so unfair.

General Braddock continued reading the report. Morin stated that after Sundvqist filed the charges he received statements from General Braddock and Constable Scarlatti. Morin indicated that Sundvqist did not bother to investigate further once he read them. He knew his goose was cooked and the charges would be dismissed and likely he would be reprimanded in some manner maybe even fired for moving forward with such shoddy work and pulling a fast one on his boss.

Morin also stated that Sundvqist didn't tell Blather because Blather was the face in the media. They wanted Blather to take the fall and draw attention away from Sundvqist. If he did then Sundvqist could fade into the background while Blather was picked to the bone for making such allegations against an innocent man.

He sighed and closed the file. Ah Christ Samuel. How the hell do you manage attract so many idiots?

General Braddock heard the deep, hardy laughter coming from Sam's room. He smiled, no not just idiots. You manage to attract some damned fine people that would go to the ends of the earth for you.


	22. Guest & How to Put an Idiot in His Place

**Guest & How to Put an Idiot in His Place**

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Family Room**_

The Braddocks, Team One and JTF2 guys were all gathered in the family room since all had finished testifying. No one talked about the hearing though because the guest had yet to testify.

The guest sat off in one corner trying not to be noticeable. He knew none of them held him responsible but he was a clear reminder who was. He was nervous and felt it better to just sit quietly and not intrude. He wished Marco could have come with him.

Mrs. Braddock was approaching him again. She had been so kind to him today. She of all people should have treated him like garbage. He was a reminder of the person that caused her child harm all those years ago and just recently too.

With a fresh mug of coffee Yvonne headed to their guest. The poor man looked almost afraid. No wonder though. He must feel like a lamb in a wolves den. Yvonne smiled and handed the mug to the guest "Mr. Dupont I thought you might like a fresh coffee. The hearing appears to be running quite long."

Taking the mug the guest replied "Thank you Mrs. Braddock. Please call me Gaston." Mrs. Braddock nodded and started to move off. Gaston blurted out "Thank you for being so kind today. God knows you have no reason to be kind to me. I'm sorry for what my brother did to your son though."

Yvonne stopped and turned back to the man who looked exactly like the one who harmed Sammy. She gave him a small smile and stepped closer "Gaston you may share the same face as the man who hurt Samuel but you are not him. I understand."

Gaston looked at her stunned by the words. "How can you be so understanding? To everyone else here I get the feeling they think I'm just as guilty because I'm an identical twin. I look the same so I must be capable of the same things."

"Oh I understand more than you might think. You may be an identical twin but you are your own person. Your choices are your own. Your life is your own and should only be measured by your own actions. Looks do not make the person inside" Yvonne stated. "You are wrong about the thoughts of the others here too. Now if you will please excuse me I must go. My sister is arriving shortly and I must consult with her on dinner plans for this horde."

Gaston nodded and wondered at the compassion the woman showed him. Her words 'looks do not make the person inside' were rolling around in his head as there was a small disturbance where the Braddock that looked a lot like Sam called out "Mom I'm so glad you came. Aunt Yvonne has her hands full with this motley crew."

Then he saw Yvonne move forward and embrace a woman saying "Ann so glad you're here. I've missed you. Erik will be happy you are here too. He's around somewhere."

When Mrs. Braddock pulled back Gaston nearly spilled his coffee when he caught a glimpse of Ann. Understanding flooded him. Mrs. Braddock clearly understood his dilemma. He watched as the two women with identical faces began to discuss dinner arrangements.

He was so focused on them that he failed to see four men approach him. It startled him and he almost spilled the coffee again. He looked up at them. The tall handsome bald man spoke to him.

"Gaston Dupont?" Ed asked more sharply than he intended as he stood in front of the seated man.

Gaston nodded a bit wary at the power each of the men exuded just by standing there. He reached out and placed the mug of coffee on a table with shaky hands. These were Sam's teammates. They had ignored him all afternoon for which he was grateful. What did they want with him now?

Wordy quickly said "Eddie watch your tone."

Greg stepped forward with his hand extended in the manner offering to shake another's hand "Gaston Dupont, I'm Greg Parker."

Standing and shaking the offered hand Gaston said warily "Yes I'm Gaston. I'm not so sure you should be talking to me. I'm still sequestered."

Greg responded "We understand that. This has nothing to do with the case directly. I … we would like to thank you for coming to the aid of Constable Callaghan in the market parking lot. I read your full statement and watched the market's security tapes. We would like you to know that you stopped a serial rapist and murderer from attacking Constable Callaghan in the parking lot that day. For that we thank you."

Gaston looked at each man and saw the sincerity of their thanks in their expression. He was surprised that they too did not seem to hold it against him that he looked just like the man that hurt their teammate.

He responded "I didn't realize he was that. I just saw a man intent on her and I didn't like the lewd looks he was giving her in the market. She is such a tiny slip of a woman. I just did what any man would do. There is no way she could have fought him off. He was just too big."

Spike, Wordy and Ed all snorted. Greg just smiled. Spike enlightened him when he saw the confusion at their reaction "Oh Jules taught him that no one messes with Jules. But thank you for stopping him that day."

Each of them shook his hand and thanked him. As they moved off Gaston sat back down. He wondered at Spike's words as he saw the petite woman approach Mrs. Braddock. What did he mean no one messes with Jules?

Gaston put the thought aside as two of the Army men looked his way. The looks on their faces were hard and unyielding. He adverted his eyes then looked down and found his hands most interesting. He thought about Marco again, he wished he was here to reassure him. He could always count on Marco to keep him safe.

Yvonne, Ann, Laura and Jules were discussing dinner options. Ann had suggested just ordering out pizza and salads. Laura had just commented that the base mess hall could likely accommodate such a large order on short notice when the General and Holleran both joined the group.

General Braddock smirked "I don't think we should inflict the mess hall offerings on the group. Might be charged with trying to poison them."

His voice carried and Gaston heard and started paying attention to the conversation.

Holleran laughed at William's jest and then greeted everyone. Norm then informed them "Chief Alnwick wanted me to let you know that the Department will be picking up the tab for dinner this evening. Is there somewhere that we can order in food?"

Yvonne said "That will be a bit difficult given short notice. Not many business that have delivery access to the base have the ability to fill such a large order on such short notice."

General Braddock offered "We can just send some of the boys to get it. All we need to do is to find a place that is willing to handle the order on short notice."

Gaston knew he should probably stay quiet and not butt in but he found himself standing and walking to the group "Excuse me. I happened to overhear. I have a friend from culinary school that owns a little Italian place near the base. I could call him. He makes delicious pizza sourcing all ingredients from local growers whenever possible. He also has a pasta dish he makes with an Italian sausage he makes from scratch."

General Braddock drew a deep breath. He knew this man was not Gerard but the looks still threw him for a loop. He forced his voice to be cordial "Are you sure he can handle a large order?"

Gaston shook a little with the intimidating man right in front of him now. Why did he speak up and interrupt? He quelled his fear and answered "Yes I'm sure Remo can handle it."

William looked at Yvonne and she smiled back at him with eyes and a look that said 'judge him for who he is'. He answered cordially "I'll leave that up to Yvonne. I need to go find Gibbson and Rudolph." He headed off lightly slapping the file folder against his hand. Yvonne was right. Whatever Gerard did was not Gaston's fault.

Blaze stopped him before he exited the room calling out "How's Blondie?"

The General stopped and turned to the room of expectant faces. Damn he had forgotten that was why he came in here in the first place. He said loud enough so all could hear "Samuel will be okay. The wound became infected but Dr. Mallard took care of it and has it under control. Says a round of antibiotics should resolve it. Samuel's resting right now."

Sighs of relief were heard. People resumed their conversations and the General went to find Gibbson. He now held the ammunition needed to end this farce. His phone rang as he headed out the door. Checking the id he saw it was Sutton. What now? He answered tersely "General Braddock."

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Study**_

General Braddock strode with purpose into the study and looked at the group of people gathered. He said to Sutton "Hold." To the room he ordered in a commanding voice all business "I need the room. Move to the library."

To Christenson he stated "I do not know how long I will be. Move forward without me."

Then into his phone the General said "Sitrep."

At the air of command and urgency in the General's voice the assembled people quickly rose and left the room. As the door closed Justice Christenson overheard the General say "How many injured and what units are available in the area to assist getting our guys out of there?"

Christenson moved off with the rest of the people back to the library as he thought that is one busy man. Looked like the weight of the world was on his shoulders just then. Must be tough sending men into dangerous situations not knowing if they would come back.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Library**_

When Christenson entered the library he saw that Braddock was back in the witness spot. Good they could get started again. He called court in session again then said "Mr. Blather the Crown may begin cross examination of the witness."

Blather wanted to try one last time to see if he could get this to trial. It was his last opportunity and although he didn't think it would really work given everything he had read he still had to try. He would first prove that Braddock could not smell the cologne. Second he would prove that Braddock couldn't distinguish one Dupont from another.

He stood and addressed the Justice "Your Honor, the accused would like the court to believe that he smelled Mr. Dupont entering the room. He says that he saw a reflection of a gun. There is no way to prove or disprove he saw a reflection. However, I request that the court allow the Crown to test Constable Braddock's sense of smell."

The Justice considered whether to allow Blather to test it. He too wonder if Braddock could really smell it and weighed it against Dr. Mallard's dissertation on the olfactory senses. The prosecution was right about the reflection so this could be a small determining factor. But how to test it? They would need the specific cologne for it to be a valid test.

Christenson stated "The court would allow such a test but it must be conducted with the exact cologne else it is invalid."

Blather was frustrated he wanted to use things available. Damn he did not think the judge would make him use the exact cologne. He scrambled for something to say and landed on "Your Honor I do not have a sample of the cologne but we have other things around that could be used to test Constable Braddock's sense of smell. I mean if it is so good it should be able to recognize lots of things."

Sam knew there was an air of doubt and he could clear his name if he could pass this test. He saw the Justice about to state something when he offered "Your Honor there is a bottle of the cologne available here."

Justice Christenson looked at Braddock "Excuse me?"

Sam answered "Your Honor I apologize for interrupting but there is a bottle of Dominion cologne here. Sergeant Parker obtain a small bottle from Dr. Dayton that he sent to the General in London to see if he could help understand why the scent would make me so fearful. The General left London before it arrived but my Mother brought the unopened package home with her. I'm sure she could locate it."

The Justice turned to Galloway and directed "Bailiff please speak with Mrs. Braddock and see if the cologne is still available." Then to Blather he instructed "You may conduct your test if the cologne is found."

Blather smiled, Braddock was an idiot to offer up the cologne. He requested "Your Honor to make this a fair test I will need the assistance of six people. I will have only one of the six apply the cologne. I will have them enter and leave the court separately. If Constable Braddock can identify which one of the six is wearing the cologne the prosecution will accept that he could smell it."

The Justice asked the assembled "Are there any volunteers to assist with the test."

He was not surprised that no one offered to help the prosecution. The odds of Braddock correctly guessing who had the cologne were not good. He looked at Chief Alnwick and instructed "Chief, please select six of those under your command to assist with the test."

The Chief was not at all pleased with the instruction. He wanted absolutely nothing to do with Blather. But he stood and said "Barnes, Brunello, Fulco, Jackson and I will assist. I will not force any SRU member to participate."

Caldwell understood why Alnwick would not want them to participate so stood up "I will assist. That makes six."

Justice Christenson stated "Please exit the room to prepare."

While they left the room Mason leaned close and whispered "Why'd ya do that Blondie?"

Sam half shrugged and answered "Want to get this over with. If I didn't Blather would have just asked for a continuance and that would delay things."

"Do you need anything?" Mason asked.

Sam held up his travel mug and asked "Could you ask my mom to get me some more water?"

Mason took the mug with a knowing smirk "Sure no problemo. Back post haste." He headed out of the room. Mason knew all about mom's water but he would never tell.

Sam glanced over at his team sitting together. Spike told him that they had thanked Gaston for helping Jules and the man looked shocked at their thanks. He hadn't seen Gaston yet and wasn't too keen on seeing him either because he would remind him of Gerard but he also wanted to thank him. Sam then pushed all thoughts out of his head, closed his eyes and relaxed for now.

Brunello much to his dismay was selected to be the one with the cologne but he refused to put it on. Blather relented and allowed the man to carry a cotton ball sprayed with the cologne in one hand. All were instructed to hold their fists closed so it would not be a giveaway.

Each was sent into the court room separately and slowly walked to the prosecutor's table and the back out of the room. Blather insisted that Sam be blindfolded so no one could send him a signal as to who had the cologne. Blather announced each one by a number as they entered the room.

Once out of the courtroom Brunello went straight to the bathroom and scrubbed his hands until all traces of the cologne were gone. He rejoined the others just as they all reentered the room and took their seats.

Mason went to remove the mask from Sam's face when Sam stopped him.

Gibbson rose and said "Your Honor. Defense requests that the witness answer the question of who had the cologne without removing the mask so there is no question as to anyone giving the witness any signals."

Christenson stated "Request granted. Mr. Blather you may proceed."

Blather stood and asked "Constable Braddock which number had the cologne?"

Sam answered without hesitation "Number four." Then he showed off "That would be Captain Brunello."

Flustered Blather remarked "How did you know it was Brunello?"

Sam removed the blindfold and tossed it to Mason "The sound his shoes make. They have a distinct squeak to them like they are brand new."

Brunello didn't realize he said out loud "They are new. My old pair was too scuffed to wear to court."

Blather forgetting himself blurted out pointing at Sam "You planned this! He signaled you somehow. You rigged this."

Justice Christenson loudly and with authority called out "Mr. Blather the court will not permit behavior such as this. You _will_ demonstrate restraint in _my_ court. The court has warned you twice. You will be sanctioned if there is any further misconduct on your part. If you cannot control your outbursts I will have you arrested for contempt of court and forcibly removed if necessary."

"Furthermore, this was your test. It was conducted under your instructions with no ability for the witness to collude in any way. The witness even assisted the unprepared prosecution by supplying the necessary cologne. The court finds that Constable Braddock has successfully proven that he could smell Dupont when he entered the room."

In is mind Christenson was thinking I don't know how the hell he smelled the cologne. I couldn't smell a damned thing different. And shoes squeaking? Must be Braddock's Special Forces training or something.

Sam grinned. That grin angered Blather more as he thought I'll show you. Just you wait for my next set of questions.

Christenson continued "Mr. Blather do you have any more questions for the witness?"

Blather tried to pull himself together and stood tugging on his black robe then answered "Yes Your Honor."

As the Justice told Blather to proceed with his cross examination the General reentered the library and went to Randolph. Handing him the file Drake gave him earlier he whispered "You need to read this. I will leave this to you and Gibbson to use the information it contains as you see fit given Sam's preference to keep certain things quiet." Then he took a seat.

Randolph began to read the contents.

At the consent from the Justice, Blather prefaced his question with "You gave testimony when asked why you got up that you thought all these things. I quote 'Dupont still had a gun and he had fired it once already. The threat still existed. I had no choice. I had to protect them. The wind was knocked out of my dad and his head had hit the wall. I was sure that dazed him. Spike had hit his head on the window so hard the glass shattered. He was surely to be concussed by that. It was up to me to save them."

Speaking with a rude air of disbelief Blather asked "You expect the court to believe that all those thoughts went through your head between the time you fell to the split seconds later you were on your feet?"

"Yes sir" Sam simply answered.

Randolph shook his head when he was done with the file the General gave him then slid it to Gibbson "Read this." Gibbson opened the file and began to read it.

Blather sneered "How?"

Sam shifted his eyes to his Dad. With a sense of pride he answered "I was trained by the best. From a young age I was trained to see my surroundings, comprehend them, assess them and react quickly. My Special Forces training only reinforced what my father had trained me to do since I was six. That training became second nature and saved my life and the lives of others countless times."

Blather clenched his jaw not liking the answer one damned bit.

The General grinned and nodded slightly at his son acknowledging the praise. Praise he did not feel he deserved but accepted. Their relationship was now firmly repaired. It was a true dad/son relationship and it felt great.

God damned. Just like that bastard Donner Gibbson thought as he closed the file. He considered how best to handle this new information. Should he put a stop to the cross examination? He looked at Sam to see how he was holding up. He seemed fine. Gibbson decided he would allow the cross exam to continue unless Sam seemed to be in duress.

Stopping it without allowing Blather to do a cross exam might put the thought into the idiot's head to add fuel to that stupid cover up gossip. He hadn't gotten a ruling on his gag order yet. So he could not chance stopping this now unless it went into the realm Sam wanted to avoid.

For now Gibbson would let Blather continue and commit career suicide. The man deserved to be disbarred and allowing him to continue would strengthen that case. Even if he did not have to use this to stop Blather he would enter this into the record and hand it over to the Ontario Attorney General for investigation.

Blather then asked "How can you be sure you attacked the right Dupont?"

Sam hesitated a moment. Should he mention both of the tattoos or just the one? He glanced at the waste can. No he couldn't do it. Call him weak but he just couldn't expose himself like that in front of everyone assembled. He didn't trust the brass enough to keep it quiet and god forbid Blather found out. It would be plastered all over the media.

Feeling somewhat disappointed in himself Sam finally answered "Because of the tattoo on his left bicep. Gerard Dupont has a tattoo of a knife with the words Power equals Respect."

Blather's teeth showed almost feral-like "Mr. Dupont was wearing long sleeves. Are you saying you saw the tattoo before you attacked?"

"No I did see the tattoo before I tackled Gerard Dupont" Sam answered truthfully. Then added "But I know that it was Gerard Dupont."

"And how do you plan to prove that?" Blather unprofessionally taunted.

Sam looked at Gibbson who nodded slightly then Sam answered "We could just ask Gaston Dupont to join us and show the court his left bicep."

Shock played on Blather's face for a moment.

Gibbson stood and addressed the judge "Your Honor, the defense has yet to call Gaston Dupont to testify but if the court pleases we can call him in now to put to rest the question of identity."

Christenson almost didn't stop his laugh. Blather was out played the entire time and had no clue. He answered "The court will allow. We will interrupt the cross examination to put to rest the question of identity. Captain Galloway will you please escort Mr. Gaston Dupont into court."

Gaston entered the library and saw it was set up like a court room. He moved forward to Ms. Rowan who swore him in. He took the chair that was quickly vacated by Mason next to Sam. Gaston took a quick glance at Sam on the couch and then refocused on Gibbson.

Gibbson stood "Please state your full name for the court."

Gaston answered "Gaston Maximilien Dupont."

"Do you have an identical twin?"

"Yes Sir."

"Please state your twin's full name."

"Gerard Adolphe Dupont."

"What is your line of work?"

"I'm a chef. I specialize in French cuisine."

"What line of work is your brother in?"

"Security."

"Why do you go by the name Gerard Dupont?"

Gaston shifted "It's complicated."

"Uncomplicate it for the court please" Gibbson stated.

Gaston explained "Well you see my brother was in the Army, he was a Sergeant. He got into trouble when he did not take proper care of the General's son while the General was out of the country."

Gibbson broke in "What do you mean not taking proper care?"

Lowering his head ashamed of his brother he answered "He hit the General's son with a belt to punish him is all I know. Also he failed to report the boy was missing for twelve days."

Gibbson said "Please continue your explanation."

Gaston cleared his throat and looked up again "After his court-martial and his BCD he tried to get work in the security field. But he kept getting declined because of the BCD."

"My brother has always been the stronger one of us. When he told me I needed to switch names with him so he could find work I didn't really want to. But he threatened me and told me he would make my life hell if I didn't. I tried to defy him but he found a way to make me comply. I was just starting culinary school at the time. When I showed up on the first day and the instructor was calling roll he called me Gerard Dupont. I was shocked but went with it."

"Afterwards I called my brother and he said he had called the school to correct the clerical error on my name. He said he acted as me when he told them some sordid story of not wanting to be confused with his sick brother Gaston."

"I was angry but I had worked hard to get into that school. Competition to get in was fierce and the school coveted their stellar reputation. I was afraid if I went to the school administration that the confusion over names and the story they were told might be enough to get me kicked out."

"So I went with it. It was less risky. To all but a few of my closest friends I'm known as Gerard. My high school friend Marco still calls me Gaston when we are in private."

Gibbson asked "Do you have much contact with your brother?"

Gaston replied "No. Every few years. Gerard does not want us in the same city. Several times though he moved into the city I was living in and established in a good position. He made me give up my job and move saying cooking jobs were a dime a dozen. My friend Marco always helped me locate new jobs."

Gibbson then went on to ask Gaston about all that occurred during his visit this time. Gaston told the court about how he got into Gerard's apartment. How Gerard told him he was going to help him even if he didn't want to. He explained the stalking outside Constable Callaghan's home and the market incident. He explained how he had a very bad feeling and got his friend Marco to help him get away. Finally he explained why he went to the Montreal police to give a statement.

"Do you have any tattoos?" Gibbson asked winding up his questions.

"No Sir I do not. I'm afraid of needles. Can't imagine having one stuck in me over and over with little dabs of dye on it." Gaston shuddered.

Gibbson then asked "Does your brother have any tattoos?"

Gaston thought "He has one I know of. It's a knife with some words under it. Some stupid saying about power. I haven't seen him with his shirt off in decades. I'm sorry I can't recall the exact words."

"Last question, have you seen Constable Braddock before today?"

Gaston thought about the stakeout, he hadn't seen him then. There was only one time besides his picture on the news and today. "Yes once" he answered.

Gibbson had thought the answer would be no so cautiously asked "When have you seen Constable Braddock before."

A regretful look came over Gaston's face as he looked at the Justice "I saw him once only for a few moments. It was outside the courthouse during my brother's court-martial. He was surrounded by the General and three other high ranking officers; one from the Air Force, one from the Navy and another from the Army. All the men wore fierce scowls and were protective of the boy. I couldn't stop staring at the boy though. I will never forget that lost little blonde boy with sad blue eyes."

He turned to Sam and really looked at him. He saw the same blue eyes in the man before him "I'm so sorry for what my brother did to you as a child. No child should be beaten regardless of how they might misbehave. He said you cried wolf but I never actually believed him. Gerard is a mean bastard who wants power and control."

Sam only nodded once. Then he closed his eyes and turned away. The brother only knew part of what Gerard was capable. How was he going to feel when the rest finally came out? After hearing Gaston's story and his heartfelt apology Sam felt bad for Gaston.

Gibbson then looked at the judge "Your Honor is the court satisfied that the man present is Gaston Dupont?"

Judge Christenson stated "The court is satisfied. Mr. Blather if you have cross exam questions for Mr. Gaston Dupont you may ask them when you are finished cross examining Constable Braddock. Mr. Dupont please follow Captain Galloway back to the sequester room until you are needed."

Blather knew that his case had totally burned to ashes. Now it was time to get the information he needed to blackmail the Braddocks.

He stood up and asked "Constable Braddock you stated that you were intent on killing Mr. Dupont. I understand that you might be angry at the man for disciplining you harshly as a child. But he paid his dues already. Why would you want to kill a man that had turned himself around and obliviously made a life for himself helping people after his BCD?"

Sam spat out unable to control a spike of rage "Because he didn't."

Blather held in a smile. He rattled him good. Let's push now and show the court that he was out of control "He didn't what?"

Taking a deep breath to control himself Sam pushed the rage down. When he spoke his voice still shook with a hint of rage but it was more controlled "He didn't help people. He didn't pay for what he did to me. He's gone on to do it to more boys. I could not let him hurt anymore boys. Not like that."

Blather could not keep the smile from his face "What do you mean hurt like that, not like that? What exactly did Dupont do to his 'first boy' as he called you?"

Sam blanched. He fell into Blather's trap. He let his emotions rule him and said what he shouldn't. Shit. He was under oath. He would have to tell now. Shit. Shit. Shit.

He felt the bile rising. Sam fought hard to quell it. He was not going to puke. Not in court. He was not going to humiliate himself further by puking in court. Oh god he was gonna puke. His hand was reaching for the waste can when he saw Gibbson stand.

Gibbson saw all color leave Sam's face and the shallow panting. He saw Sam starting to reach for the can. By god he would not allow this to continue any further. He stood and said loudly and firmly "Your Honor I request that all charges be dropped immediately."

Blather yelled at Gibbson "On what grounds?" He turned to the judge and lowered the decibel slightly "Your Honor this is an outrage! Defense counsel is interrupting my cross examination."

Justice Christenson looked at Braddock who was definitely in distress. Braddock's eyes were tightly shut, hand was on a nearby waste can and he was breathing shallow like he was trying not to throw up. He was an astute man and the pieces clicked into place.

Ah hells bells. Braddock was a child victim of sexual abuse at the hands of Gerard Dupont. All the odd turns of phrases, that undercurrent he felt, Braddock's fear associated with an odor and the barely contained rage he could see in the General's expression every single time Dupont's name was mentioned. It all made sense now.

Then he looked at both counsels. He wondered what Gibbson had that could stop the proceeding now and why he hadn't said anything earlier.

Christenson addressed the defense calmly "Mr. Gibbson please explain to the court on what grounds you have for requesting the charges be dismissed."

Drawing in a breath Gibbson exhaled slowly then stated "Your Honor. The defense wishes to enter into evidence proof that the filing of charges against Constable Braddock was groundless and was an act of malicious prosecution perpetrated by ACA Sundvqist who had an unwarranted personal vendetta against Constable Braddock."

"In addition, although Mr. Blather did not actually file the charges you will find that he is an accessory to them and has maliciously slandered Constable Braddock's name in the media. The appalling acts of Mr. Sundvqist and Mr. Blather have caused significant emotional distress and irreparable damage to Constable Braddock's public reputation."

Gibbson handed the file to Mike who gave it to Ms. Rowan who logged it then handed it off to Justice Christenson. The Justice read the file and a look of incredulity etched into his features.

Blather sat in his seat shaken by what Gibbson had just said. He watched the judge closely as Christenson read whatever was contained in the file.

When Christenson finished he asked "Mr. Gibbson, when did you learn these details?"

Gibbson answered "I was handed the file as Mr. Blather was in the midst of his cross examination."

Christenson then said "Captain Galloway please hand this file to Mr. Glover. Mr. Glover the court will wait while you read the file."

The file was handed off to Isaac who began to read it. Confusion was growing in the courtroom. What was in that file?

Sam had regained control and squashed the need to hurl. He looked to his dad for answers. All he saw was a hint of a nod and steel hard determination reflected in his dad's eyes. It was odd but the look felt like iron clad arms wrapping around him protecting him, keeping him safe. Somehow Dad had found a way for him to keep his deepest hurt private. They would talk later but for now he just kept locked on his dad's eyes reveling in the security and warmth he found in the steel blue eyes.

Isaac Glover couldn't believe what he just read. Well actually he could but to have this handed to him on a silver platter was beyond belief. He stood "Your Honor as Crown Attorney I withdraw all charges against Constable Samuel W. Braddock."

Picking up the folder he stated "I will be contacting the Ontario Attorney General to follow up on this. I suspect the Attorney General himself will be making a statement to the press regarding the deplorable miscarriage of justice that Constable Braddock has been subjected to. I also suspect that there will be charges levied against participating parties including but not limited to Mr. Gerard Dupont and Mr. Elliot Blather."

Blather glared, stood and blurted out "What charges are there against me? I do not understand? What is in that file?"

Justice Christenson interrupted Blather's tirade "Mr. Blather I did warn you. Captain Galloway, take Mr. Blather into custody for contempt of court and remove him."

Mr. Blather did not go quietly. Without the benefit of handcuffs Mike substituted a twisted arm lock behind Blather's back to take the ranting man out of the court room. Winds quickly followed them out the door stopping only to tell the General he would get the MPs to take custody of Blather until other arrangements were made. The General nodded agreement.

When order was restored Justice Christenson stated "Based on evidence presented and the request from the Crown Attorney all charges against Constable Samuel W. Braddock are hereby dismissed. The court wishes to express its sincere regrets that such a travesty was allowed to happen."

"All records from these proceeding will be sealed and accessible only upon the execution of a proper warrant or the consent of Constable Braddock with the exception for the reasons for dismissal. Furthermore, the court issues a gag order preventing Mr. Elliot Blather, Mr. Gerard Dupont and Mr. Todd Morin from speaking to the media of any form regarding any issue related to this case. The court will allow statements to the media from other official parties that articulate that charges should never have been brought forth and Constable Braddock's actions were taken in self-defense and the defense of others.

Justice Christenson concluded "Court is adjourned."


	23. Celebration, Dinner Talks & Becoming Max

**Celebration, Dinner Talks & Becoming Max **

* * *

_**General Braddock's Home – Library**_

 _Justice Christenson concluded "Court is adjourned."_

It would be a toss-up really and no one was able to truly tell whether Spike's or Kyle's whoops of joy were louder. All anyone would agree on was that the room erupted into a thunderous cacophony of sound as Sam was surrounded by his team, his unit buddies and cousins. The General was receiving back slaps and hugs from his brothers before they too converged on Sam.

The boisterous sounds drew Yvonne, Laura and Ann into the room as well. All three women stood beaming off to the side watching the male free-for-all. Yvonne watched as the police and court delegations stared in awe at the Braddock men who were known for the scowls they wore most of the day as they transformed into exuberant boys. The bright WOW smiles and laughter was more impressive than the hard as nails tough guy personas that had first greeted the delegations.

She caught the eye of Norm Holleran. He simply leaned back against the wall and smiled. Norm knew this was a side of Braddock men that was normally reserved for family alone. It was rare they allowed outsiders to see this side of themselves. But this situation warranted it.

Yvonne watched the celebration for several minutes until she saw the Braddock boys start to hoist the couch into the air Caesar style with Sam on it. She raised her voice to be heard above the din as she commanded "Stop right there boys."

The Braddock boy's froze in place at the sound of her voice with Sam and the couch about two feet off the ground. The others followed suit and a hush loomed over the room. She continued at a normal volume but no less commanding "Put Sam down now before you drop him. He has enough injuries to deal with without you boys adding to them." They instantly complied looking abashed.

She then walked toward Sam and the men parted like the red sea clearing a direct path to Sam. Yvonne sat at the edge of the couch and cupped his face seeing the exhaustion and pain but also the relief in his eyes "As it should have been." She kissed his cheek and hugged him gently. "Do you want to rest before dinner?"

Sam smiled at his mom then took her hand and squeezed it "Nah, I'm good here."

Yvonne stood and said to the room at large "Dinner will be ready in about an hour. Boys please help Laura bring in some liquid refreshment and then set up chairs and tables on the patio."

She turned to Sally and Harriet and gently offered "If you would care to join the ladies in the other room for a glass of wine or something else you are quite welcome." Turning to find Jules among the men she added "Jules I know you would most likely want to stay with your team but if you change your mind please join us we will be in the kitchen."

Yvonne looked at the Braddock's and threw out one more command "You best all behave."

Instant "Yes Ma'am" was actually voiced by every single man in the room. She smiled and shook her head. When Yvonne left the room she was follow by Ann, Laura, Harriet, Sally and the Braddock boys.

Chief Alnwick turned to Holleran and said "Wow. We could sure use someone that commanding at the academy. Can you imagine the caliber of cadets she would churn out?"

Without missing a beat Holleran answered "Yes. Just look at Sam Braddock." Then he headed over to William and shook his hand. Then turned to Sam and did the same as he offered words of congratulations and telling him he never doubted his innocence.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Patio**_

Soft background music played as everyone congregated around the many tables that were set up on the large patio. It was a mostly relaxed crowd since Blather had been hauled off to the brig to be held until he could be transferred to Toronto. The only two not completely relaxed were Gaston and Brunello.

All the Braddock men had changed into casual clothes. Greg, Ed and Wordy had all shucked their jackets and ties and unbutton the top buttons of their dress shirts. Spike had changed into his favorite jeans and soft polo shirt. Jules decided to remain in her new dress but had kicked off her high-heels.

Mason had helped Sam change and he felt more comfortable in the soft sweats and loose fitting t-shirt. He sat on the couch which had been brought out to the patio, sans him riding it by order of mom. Currently he was alone while others ate at the tables. He was fine with that as he was actually exhausted.

Sam felt too tired to eat and was pushing his food around on his plate when Blaze approached. Pulling a folding chair with him Blaze placed it near Sam. Then he sat down and balanced his plate on his lap as he took a long draw on his beer.

"How ya holding up Blondie?" Blaze asked.

Sam just looked at him with half closed eyes.

Blaze read his eyes "Been a tough one I see."

Sam remained quiet and shoved the food around some more.

"You still fine?" Blaze asked.

Still Sam did not speak.

Taking another long drink then setting the bottle on the ground near his feet Blaze put his hand on Blondie's shoulder "We are all here if you need us."

Sam finally spoke "I'm weak Blaze."

Blinking at the comment Blaze's first reaction what to tell Blondie he was not weak. But he stopped himself and asked "Why do you think that?"

Sam pushed the food around again. The silence dragged out for a long time. So long that Blaze thought Blondie was not going to answer him. Until he said "Logically I know something but I … never mind."

Blaze asked softly "Does it have anything to do with whatever made you want to hurl in court?"

Sam shot Blaze a look of how did you know. Then he realized his reaction would have never been missed by Blaze, Winds, Mason or Jim. They had simply spent too much time together for them to miss it for what it was. The police delegation probably just thought he was in physical pain from his injuries.

"Whatever it is Blondie if it caused that type of visceral reaction it hurts you deeply. I do not see that as weakness. We've seen each other at our lowest points and help each other claw our way back up. Whatever it is I will be there for you like always" Blaze stated.

Sam leaned his head back and his plate nearly slid off his lap. Blaze caught it in time. He set it off to the side "Not hungry I see."

"No." Sam said tiredly unable to keep his eyes open any longer.

Blaze simply said "Rest kiddo, just rest now. There is time to talk later."

He watched as Sam's head lolled to the side. Blaze sighed. The kid was hurting physically and emotionally and he was exhausted. He looked up and put his index finger to his lips as Winds and Jim approached. Winds sat on the chair he had brought over and Jim sat on the arm of the couch.

Winds asked quietly "So did Blondie talk to ya about what happened in there?"

Blaze answered "No he was too wiped out. We have a week off so no need to rush it. We just need to be here if he needs us."

Jim grinned and inclined his head towards Jules "I'm thinkin we've been replaced."

Winds said softy so his voice did not carry "She's good for Blondie. Wish they didn't have to keep it secret."

Mike walked up to the group and sat cross legged on the ground with his plate in his lap. He watched Sam a moment as he took a large bite from his slice of pizza. After he swallowed he looked to Winds and said "Blather was a piece of work."

Winds grinned "Mike I swear you are damned scary at times. You made the guy almost pee his pants with just a look and a few quiet words. What did ya actually say to him?"

Mike said straight faced "Just told him I could make sure he ended up like his brother Harold and no one would ever question it."

Blaze stared at him "You actually threatened Blather?"

Mike responded "What did he expect? He hurt Sam. And more importantly he called me Magic Mike. No one calls me Magic Mike if they want to survive."

They all laughed quietly so as to not wake Sam.

Well not exactly no one Mike thought. The only person ever allowed to call him that was the General. Mike took it as a term of respect from him. He owed the General his life. The General could call him any damned thing he wanted as far has he was concerned.

Mike then said "Seriously, nah I just told him Sam had too many friends that had his back for him to ever consider going after Sam again. Although I was kinda glad we didn't have cuffs here."

Jim grinned "What do you mean kind of? We all saw that wicked grin on your face as you twisted his arm backwards and hauled him out of the room. If it were Mason he would have popped the shoulder out for good measure."

Mason came up behind Blaze. "Damn right I would have. Wish I could have had a few minutes alone with the bastard."

Drake joined the little gathering "Apollo, Cameo and Pawn did good today. Fast work. Not sure how Apollo got Morin to confess. Damn glad he did though."

Blaze added "Good thing the General recalled the guy's name and asked them to look into it."

Sam cracked his eyes open "Can't a guy get a little rest here? You guys are being as quiet as jet engine and gossiping like a women's sewing circle."

Snorts and chuckles were heard from the gathered guys.

Jim picked up Sam's plate and put it in his lap "Now that you're awake eat and drink something. You got about an hour before that internal investigation thing starts and you haven't really eaten since breakfast according to Mason and Jules."

Sam lifted his head and glared at Jim who simply glared back at him. Sam relented and picked up his fork then stabbed a piece of pasta. As he chewed he thought it felt good to be around these guys. It had been a while since they had all been in country at the same time. He missed being around them sometimes.

Sam looked at Blaze, Jim and Winds "Can you guys stick around until the internal investigation is over? I need to talk to you about something."

Jim saw the look on Sam's face and immediately nodded and said "Heather gave me leave to stay over a few days if needed so no problem for me."

Winds saw the same thing in Blondie's eyes and added "Blaze and I are here for a full week at least."

Then knowing Blondie needed a break from heavy subjects, Winds launched the group into a friendly argument about an upcoming hockey match.

Around one table sat Jules, Greg and Wordy. Ed and Spike had headed off a bit ago towards the pond. At the table next to them sat Scott, Jeff and Adam who were talking about the course they were rebuilding for Sam, Spike and Jules to use during rehab. The rest were at other tables all eating and drinking and enjoying various conversations.

Greg and Wordy flanked Jules. With fatherly concern Greg asked "How are you doing Jules?"

She cocked her head and raised her eyebrow "Better since the charges against Sam were thrown out."

Wordy chuckled lightly "Too much time with Sam I see. No more deflection. We want to know how you are dealing with what happened to you Jules."

Jules almost laughed. Was Sam really rubbing off that much on her? But then she thought of his first words. No never could she spend too much time with Sam.

She replied "I'm doing okay. Some ups and downs. Mason has actually been helpful. Still a little … little … not so comfortable around larger men. Mason said he wants to work with me on some moves for taking down a larger opponent."

Wordy patted her hand "That would be good. Then you can teach us."

Looking over at Yvonne a small sigh escaped Jules said "Mrs. Braddock has been wonderful to Spike and me. She has a unique way of doing things to help that you don't realize at the time are helping. Like Spike and making the bread and pasta. And a firmness when needed like telling Sam he had to join us at the dinner table. That actually helped all of us. Got us all out of our own heads."

Jules thought back to the first night Yvonne arrived and the calming bath and Sam's clothing. She also thought how readily the woman welcomed her and accepted her and Sam's arrangement. Yvonne must know how much just holding other each other at night helped them both. "She has a gentle mother's touch."

Both Greg and Wordy heard what Jules was not saying. A mother's touch Jules needed and had not had since she was young. They both knew it was something she did not know she had sorely needed for a long time. A touch that could soothe her fears as only a mother could. They were very glad she was staying here right now. They were glad Mrs. Braddock saw that need and was filling it for her too.

Wordy remarked "Shel would love that dress. I don't remember her packing it."

Lifting her hand to tuck her stray hair behind her ear Jules responded as she leaned back in the chair "Retail therapy with Laura."

She smiled at a recollection "You should have seen Spike this morning with Laura. He can be such a goofball sometimes. His antics trying on suits had us all laughing. He insisted on trying on this white suit and a bright pink shirt with it."

"The way he paraded around doing a very bad John Travolta Saturday Night Fever impression even had the poor sales woman belly laughing. It was good for Sam. He needed the diversion this morning." Jules glanced over and saw Sam surrounded by his JTF2 buddies. She noticed Jim had gotten him to start eating. That was good.

Jules wondered when, not if, Sam was going to tell Blaze, Winds and Jim about the abuse. He had said he was fine in the court room. She could see he was trying hard to hold it together to get through today.

She wished she could be close to him to support him right now. But there was no way for her to be close to him until everyone was gone. At bedtime she would be there for Sam. She needed to divert where her thoughts were going when she thought of bedtime and Sam in the same sentence. They definitely were not PG or even R thoughts. They were more along the lines of … ah well, change the subject Jules she told herself.

So Jules changed the subject looking at Greg "So you met my brothers. They really all came to Toronto?"

Greg gave her a tight smile and the corners of his eyes crinkled "Yes. All four Aidan, Brayden, Finley and Keagan. You got the photos of what they fixed at your home?"

Jules nodded and asked "They weren't left alone in my house were they?" She didn't like the idea of them having free rein in her home.

"No. When I wasn't there an officer was there at all times. We ensured they stayed in only on the first floor and basement" Greg assured her.

"From the pictures it looks like they did a nice job. But to be honest I didn't even know the front door was busted" Jules said dropping her head backwards to look at the clouds rolling by. It would be dark soon and a storm was coming in.

Wordy looked serious for a moment then said "Connor would be good on an entry team. With his kicks he splintered the whole frame and dislodged the handle on the door.

Jules rushed out her words before she could chicken out "Did they say anything why they were there?"

Greg took a sip of his coffee and set it down. "They said much the same thing Aidan did when he visited you in ICU after Vlad. You deserved more from all of them. They should have supported your choice. They still care about you. They want an opportunity to talk with you."

He reached out a hand and placed it on her arm. Jules looked at Greg as he told her "They each wrote you a letter. I left the sealed letters on the counter in your kitchen. I could send them to you if you would like."

Jules considered this for a long moment as she tilted he head back up and continued to watch the clouds rolling in "Yeah. Send them. I'm not sure I'll read them but send them anyway." Part of her was curious what they could have to say to her. Would she care what their words were? Could anything they had to say ever make a difference?

She blew out a breath and said "So Wordy just how miffed were Holly and Lilly. I mean Sam got fifteen cards and I only got five." Jules grinned and the three of them chuckled as Wordy explained how miffed Lilly and Holly were.

Ed wanted to talk to Spike alone. He was worried about him. Spike used joking to cover up his true emotions much like he used anger. Spike had been on all night and even though it was appropriate given the dismissal of the charges against Sam it still seemed a little forced to Ed. So he suggested they walk down to the pond together.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Pond**_

Out of the spotlight of others Ed noticed that Spike calmed and became silent. He had been right. Something was bothering Spike. Sam had a houseful of people watching over him and sure they were watching over Jules and Spike too. But it wasn't the same as how the team watched out for one another. Ed saw the bench and saw down. Spike followed him.

They sat in silence for a long time before Ed said "What's on your mind Spike?"

Spike had known that Ed saw through his act tonight. He was somewhat relieved when Ed asked him to walk to the pond. Spike knew it wouldn't be long before Ed made him talk. He was surprised Ed waited this long.

He looked out over the quiet pond, the geese settled down in the dusk with night approaching. Spike sighed then answered "When we lost Lou my world was shattered. You all helped me put things back together; Sam especially. I don't know how he does it. He makes it look simple but it's not."

Ed thought he knew what Spike was talking about but he refused to assume so asked "What does he make look simple?"

"Dealing with everything. Vlad, Logan, Dupont, the arrest, just everything. He just tucks it away and moves on. It's not so simple" Spike answered.

Taking some time to think about his response Ed mulled over how Sam copes. The impression he gave to the world was that it was like turning on and off a light switch but he knew better. Their time spent recuperating together after the Darby dock incident really gave him insight into the complexity of Sam. No matter how simple Sam made it look to other he knew it was never simple or easy for Sam.

Ed shifted and turned towards Spike "It's not any easier for Sam to cope he just hides it better than most. What are you having the most difficulty dealing with right now?"

Spike shifted and turned to Ed as he slowly closed and opened his right fist "It's hard to tell. All of it is jumbled up. The things Vlad did to us to me. I mean I just went into that vat. I cuffed myself to that rung. I knew what was coming but I did it anyways."

Ed watched Spike's body language. It was screaming I'm worried about my hand. He listened to the words and could tell it was more than just his hand. Ed was struggling to come up with what to say. He was saved from having to say anything when Spike started speaking again.

The silence from Ed was good. Spike was getting up the nerve to share and if Ed had spoken he would not have shared "I'm afraid that my hand will not improve enough to get back to the team. I've lost Lou. I don't think I could take it if I lost you all too if I don't make it back to the team."

"I was so afraid we lost Sam. He got shot again protecting me again. All I did was stand there. There's no guarantee that Sam will actually make it back to the team. I mean he can't even stand up right now and his left shoulder is so messed up. He's left handed. If he can't walk or shoot he won't make it back to the team."

"Then there is Jules. Jules has always been Jules. I worried but I always thought she could handle anything. Logan showed me how vulnerable she really is. A few days ago she was like my shadow. Where ever I went she was within a few feet. When Mason came into the room I could almost smell the fear coming off of her in waves. I could see her shiver too. It wasn't Jules we all know. Will she ever feel confident enough to want to come back to the team?"

"You know I always thought that the team was somehow invincible. That together we could handle anything. That we would always get the bad guy and save the day. But if we are not all there. If Sam or Jules or me are gone it won't be the same. Everything that has happened so close together has proved to me that we are not invincible. It's all just too much all at once to deal with."

Spike didn't know why and couldn't stop himself as he blurted out "My head is so screwed up right now the only way I can sleep without nightmares is to hold onto Sam's old stuffed dog." Spike was glad for the encroaching nighttime because Ed would not see he turned beet red at that admission. He did turn away and stare at the pond though.

Ed swallowed the emotional lump in his throat. He was glad for the coming darkness because it covered the glistening wetness in his eyes. Ah Christ Spike. He slid next to Spike and put an arm around Spike's shoulders and just sat in quiet companionship not finding words that would ease his friend's worries.

After a while the words did come to Ed "It will just take you some time to sort it all out. I have faith you will and that your head and your hand will be alright. As for the team, we will always be a family regardless of who is on the team or not. But have faith in Jules and Sam. All three of you are going to make it back. Then we can go about saving the day together."

Spike said "Thanks for listening Ed."

Ed responded "Anytime buddy."

They sat in silence for several more minutes until Ed said with curious humor "So Sam has a stuffed dog? I had a stuffed rabbit. My mom caught me slicing it open with my Dad's pocket knife when I was five. When she asked what I was doing I told her I dressing the rabbit to make rabbit stew like Dad did when we went camping. The rabbit didn't survive."

Spike chuckled. The two spent the next half hour in light conversation sharing funny or quirky anecdotes from their childhood. All the while Ed had his arm slung around Spike's shoulder. Spike appreciated the support and took Ed's words to heart.

At the first drops of rain Ed said "We should head back. You good for now?"

Standing Spike said "Yeah, for now." When the heavens opened up and the down pour began in earnest they raced back to the house.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Patio**_

When the first drops of rain started the JTF2 buddies surrounded the couch and picked it up quickly moving Sam to a spot under the covered section of the patio. Everyone else scrambled to move to the sheltered area too. People started making their way inside as Ed and Spike raced up drenched to the bones and laughing.

Spike shook like a dog splattering several with water and promptly apologized after irritated calls of 'Hey' and 'Watch it'. Yvonne appeared with towels for both of them and told Spike to go change into something dry.

Blaze stepped up to Ed and offered "We are near the same size. I've got an extra pair of clothes in my duffle bag if you want to change." Ed accepted the offer and the two headed inside.

Mason went to pick up Sam to move him inside. Sam asked "Mason can you take me to my room then get Jules?" Mason agreed.

The General, uncles and cousins began clearing up after dinner insisting that Yvonne, Ann and Laura relax. The remainder of the people congregated on the covered portion of the patio or in the family room.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Sam's Room**_

Jules entered the room to find Sam seated on the bed. "Hey Sam. What did you want?" she said.

Sam patted the bed next to him. Jules went to sit down. Sam reached out and put his hand on the back of her head and gently pulled her towards him. He gave her a slow kiss. Jules wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back softly.

When they finally separated Sam said "Been needing that all day."

"Me too. How are you feeling? How's the leg?" Jules asked as she placed her hand on his forehead checking his temperature.

Honestly Sam answered "Tired and it hurts like hell. I feel like I could sleep a week."

Jules reached over to grab a glass of water and handed it to Sam "Drink. Soon you will be able to sleep. We just have to get through this internal investigation. I'm not so sure what it is all about."

"We'll just have to wait and see. Thought it was to do with me but I'm not so sure now. I still can't believe that the ACA Sundvqist was one of the guys that jumped me in high school. The name sounded familiar but I couldn't place it. It was about a girl and it turns out Todd is gay. Go figure."

Jules shifted so she was also seated with her back against the headboard "You never told me about that. Care to share?"

Sam shared with Jules the events around his sixteenth birthday and the days following. He ended with "So that's how I ended up living with Bella. Those were two of my best years as a kid. I found out a few years ago that it was my Mom's idea for me to stay with Bella. Also a lot of the things I attributed to being Bella's ideas were actually my Mom's. Like joining the adventure club and waiting until the next year to start back to school and leaving things up to me to decide."

Leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek Jules said "I like your mom a lot. It was hilarious how every man answered yes ma'am earlier. Your cousins looked like deer caught in headlights when they froze."

Sam laughed "Yeah, she's like the Commander-in-Chief of the Braddock clan. No one dares defy her. She sure made them pay for drinking in excess last night." They both laughed at that.

"Hey Jules" Sam said with a serious note to his voice.

"Hey what?" she responded.

"Blaze told me that the guys told Gaston thank you for stopping Logan at the market. I'd like to thank him too. I feel bad for the guy. Was wondering if I should give him a heads up as to what is coming down the path for his brother. You know so he can prepare. Sharing the same face and all will make it tough for him" Sam stated.

Jules sighed "I should probably thank him too. But part of me can't stand to look at him. It makes me angry for what Gerard did to you, both then and now. But you are right. I kinda feel for him too. It would be bad enough to have a family member like that but to share the same looks and probably be mistaken for him. That's gotta suck. You want me to go get him?"

Sam nodded and rubbed his left thigh around the wound "Yeah. Can you also see if I can have a bit more pain meds? Not enough to knock me loopy or put me to sleep, just enough to take the edge off."

Jules got to her knees in front of him and took his face into her hands. She kissed him. "Thank you for being honest with me and letting me know when you are in pain. I know how hard that is for you to admit."

"I trust you Jules" Sam simply responded.

She kissed him again then scooted off the bed "Be right back." Jules headed out the door closing it behind her again.

Sam had his eyes closed when his door opened. He opened them as Jim approached the bed with a glass of water. Jim held out his hand and dropped three pills into Sam's hand.

At Sam's confused look Jim explained "One for pain and two for fever."

Downing them Sam said "Thanks."

Jim sat in the chair and commented "So when are you planning to ask Jules to marry you?"

Sam shot him a look and Jim just laughed then said "Hey, turn about fair play. She's the one for you. We both know it."

"I'd do it today but Jules isn't quite ready for that yet. It's a bit complicated for us" Sam answered.

Jim leaned forward "I know but you guys will resolve it one day. Hopefully you two find a way sooner rather than later. My kiddos could use some cousins to play with."

Chuckling Sam responded "Not all of us move as fast as you Jim."

"Hey when it's right it's right" Jim said as Jules and Gaston entered. Jim stood and said "I'll give you three some space." Jim closed the door behind him knowing whatever Sam had to say to Gaston must be private from his expression when Gaston entered.

Jules sat on the edge of the bed and motioned for Gaston to sit in the vacated chair. Gaston sat and waited a little anxious. He was surprised when Jules came and got him and said Sam wanted to talk to him.

Looking at the man in front of her Jules's hand found its way into Sam's hand seeking both to get and give support. Jules started "Gaston, I've been told that it was you that stopped Logan at the market. Thank you for stepping in and stopping him."

"It's nothing anyone wouldn't do. No thanks necessary" Gaston said.

Jules responded "No it is something and thanks are necessary. Not everyone would put themselves out there to help someone they don't know. So thank you. Your actions show the type of man you are. A good man."

Sam added "I owe you my thanks too. Jules is a special person and you protected her that day. Like she said you are a good man."

Gaston looked at the man on the bed. How could he thank him after what his brother did to him? He managed to say "You're welcome. I'm glad I was there to help." Looking at Jules he ventured "What did Spike mean when he said you taught the man no one messes with Jules?"

Sam burst out laughing. Jules punched Sam's arm. Sam yelped "OW!"

Gaston bit his lower lip to keep from smiling at the interaction between the two. He saw her rubbing his arm for him.

Sam looked at Gaston "See she can protect herself. Damned hard right jab." Turning to Jules he joked "That's gonna bruise. Do it again and I tell mom."

Jules smirked "Go right ahead. She'd be on my side Braddock."

Sam chuckled at the image of both his mom and Jules ganging up on him. He'd never win if they got together.

Then he sobered up and said to Gaston "I need to tell you some things. It's about your brother. I don't want you blindsided when they come out. It's probably gonna make your life difficult and I'm sorry about that. You need to keep what I tell you private. Can you promise me that you will keep what I tell you to yourself?"

Dread filled Gaston but he answered "Yes. I am a man of my word but you don't know me well enough to believe me so if you chose not to tell me I understand."

Jules interjected "We have the measure of the man before us. You put yourself at risk to save someone you did not know. You went to the police of your own accord to put on record Gerard's intentions towards Sam. Sarge said you did not hesitate at all when asked to come and testify today."

Sam added "And you apologized for actions taken by your brother. Which, by the way, are not your fault. He is his own man. You are your own man."

Gaston was again surprised by the acceptance of him by these people. "Thank you. That means a lot. As a twin I'm used to people thinking we are exactly the same because we share the same DNA."

Taking a deep breath and squeezing Jules's hand Sam told Gaston what he needed to know. "This is going to be hard for you to hear. So I won't beat around the bush. Your brother is a pedophile."

A shocked gasp came from Gaston.

Without actually stating he was a victim of Gerard, Sam explained "As a result of his attack on me at the hospital and some things he did in the pediatric ward of the hospital the authorities started looking into his past. He is suspected of assaulting at least twenty-five boys over the years. As the investigation continues they are finding more boys in unsolved cases that may have been assaulted by Gerard."

"He is about to be charged with that in addition to likely charges of attempted murder of a Police Officer and Army General. I'm not certain of all the charges that will be brought against him. But I felt you needed to know beforehand so you can protect yourself. As you say, not everyone sees you for who you are. You need to be prepared."

Gaston covered his face with his hands. Oh god. How could his brother be so depraved? All those boys. If they suspected him they must have just cause and he didn't doubt that his brother was guilty. What was he going to do? He needed Marco's help.

Lowering his shaky hands from his face Gaston looked at Sam. In a small hesitant voice Gaston said "I'm so very sorry. I didn't know. If I did I would have reported him."

Sam responded "Not your fault."

Gaston then said "I promised to keep it to myself. But please may I tell Marco? Marco Leclair is my best friend since high school and my partner. He always looks out for me. We run a small French restaurant in Montreal. This will affect both of us."

Jules asked "Partner as in business partner?"

Shaking his head Gaston displayed a small smile "No partner as in life partner. We only realized how we felt about each other recently. Marco has always been there for me; never let me down when I needed him. He asked me to marry him the day I arrived in Montreal. He said he realized when I called him asking for his help to get away from Gerard that he couldn't imagine life without me. I said yes. We are planning a wedding but haven't set a date."

Jules reached out for his hands and clasped them "Congratulations."

The sincerity of her words made him choke up "He might not want to marry me now?"

Sam wasn't sure what to say and looked at Jules. She would know what to say. Jules said "Nonsense. You are still the same man he cares about. You are not your brother and from the sounds of it he knows that quite well."

A glimmer of an idea entered his head and Gaston said "I wonder if he would want to get married quickly. I could take his last name. I've been thinking of starting to use my middle name to avoid the whole Gerard/Gaston debacle. I could distance myself from all of this if when we marry I take his name. I could become Maximilien Leclair."

Jules smiled "That sounds like a nice name. Max for short. Marco and Max."

Sam said "Why don't you call Macro now. See what he thinks."

"So it's okay to tell him?" Gaston asked.

"Yeah, just please keep it to yourselves" Sam answered.

"Thank you for caring enough to give a heads up. I wouldn't want to say anything to anyone else about this; especially if I want to distance myself from my brother" Gaston said and pulled out his phone.

Sam and Jules sat holding hands as Gaston talked to Marco. They heard the pain and disgust in his voice as he told Marco what Gerard had done. They heard the joy in his voice as Macro agreed with his idea to marry quickly.

When Gaston hung up a few minutes later he looked at Jules and Sam and beamed "Marco picked a date. Two days from now I will be Max Leclair."

As they congratulated him there was a knock on the door. Mason opened the door and said "Blondie they are ready to get started with the internal investigation. You okay to join them or do you need to rest more?"

Sam grimaced "Yeah, I'm ready to get this over with too."

Mason came in and picked up Sam to carry him to the library and Jules followed.

Gaston headed for the family room to wait until they were transported back to the airport. As sick as he was about the depravity of his brother he was equally happy at the turn of events in his own life. He wondered like always how two people that shared the same DNA could be so vastly different.

.

* * *

 _ **AN:**_ _ **Oh my, I am totally overwhelmed by the positive support.** Thank you to all my readers! I will carry on and let this story unfold as it will. _

_The irony of my title for the previous chapter is not lost on me. Totally not planned but 'Guest & How to an Idiot in His Place' happened not only in that chapter with Blather but also in the responses regarding the anonymous guest reviewer's opinion on the story length._

 _Hope you enjoy this chapter._


	24. Really, The Favor & Team One Allegations

**Really, The Favor & Team One Allegations **

* * *

_**General Braddock's Home – Library**_

Harriet was setting up again when Detective Jackson entered the room "Hello Sally. They sure changed up this room quickly. Those guys are so handy and handsome."

With a hint of humor Sally said "Oh Harriet would your boyfriend like you ogling the Braddocks. What's his name again?"

Blushing Harriet giggled "um, um I think I forget. I can't help it. Those Braddocks and JTF2 guys just rattle my brains and make me drool. Did you see those smiles?"

Putting her case on the table and opening to grab her file Sally responded "You're so in trouble. But you are right. Only one of them is married too. Which one do you find most attractive?" Sally looked up at Harriet and her eyes widened as the young woman began to speak.

Plugging in the cable Harriet gushed in a girlish tone "Can't choose. My god they are all just so, so male. Each is different but all are so ruggedly handsome. And oh my, those gorgeous blue eyes they all have. A girl could find herself completely lost in those eyes."

"Really" a male voice drawled with a hint of humor from behind Harriet. Her eyes got wide as saucers and her face crimson as she recognized the voice of Kyle Braddock the one Braddock male she could not keep her eyes off of today. Oh god she was so embarrassed to be caught talking like that.

Sally really tried hard not to laugh watching Harriet squirm but couldn't contain it completely as several bubbles of laughter escaped. Getting a hold of herself Sally said "Hi Kyle. You guys did a quick job of rearranging the room. Thank you"

Coming around the other side of the table Kyle gave Harriet a lopsided grin and responded to Sally "When Aunt Yvonne commands you jump to it or suffer the consequences."

Harriet struggled to regain her composure and asked "What kind of consequences."

Putting his chin in his hand Kyle tapped his lips with his index finger like he was thinking. Then he answered with an air of humor and contemplation "You know, I don't rightly know what kind of consequences. None of us have ever had the guts not to do what she asked immediately. Might have to think on trying not obeying once to see what the consequences would be."

Scott came up beside Kyle and said with mock sadness dripping from his words "It was so nice having a brother. I promise to attend your funeral Kyle."

"Yeah well maybe I won't try it" Kyle chuckled. Then he turned to Harriet "Speaking of following orders I was sent in here to make sure you had everything you needed for your set up."

Harriet looked around and said "I could use an extension cord for my laptop."

"Your wish is my command. Be back in a bit" Kyle replied and jogged out of the room.

Scott headed over to Sally "Ms. Jackson, my aunt would like to have a brief word with you before you begin. Would you please come with me?"

Sally nodded and followed him out. She wondered what in the world Mrs. Braddock would want to speak to her about.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Upstairs Sitting Room**_

Mrs. Braddock was seated in one of the two chairs in a cheerful sitting room. Sally Jackson was shown in by Scott who closed the door behind him. Sally looked around the room liking the décor.

The room was done in pale yellow and baby blue. The two wing back chairs were done up in soft blue fabric with tiny yellow flowers. Between them was a mahogany table with an intricate inlay pattern. The mahogany blinds were wide open with a view of the backyard and woods beyond.

Yvonne said "Please have a seat. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. This will not take long."

Sally sat and asked "What can I do for you Mrs. Braddock?"

Folding her hands in her lap Yvonne replied "I would like to ask you a favor."

Not having any idea what favor she could do for Mrs. Braddock she responded "What favor would that be Mrs. Braddock?"

"I understand you are having trouble with the abuse case against Mr. Dupont. I also know you have asked to speak with Sam about it. My favor is that you do not press him for help with your case in front of the others in the police delegation" Yvonne stated.

Sally only had her suspicion to go on since no one had confirmed Sam had been abused by Dupont. All the odd words and his reaction to cross exam all pointed to him being a victim. And if the words were an indicator he was the first victim.

She planned to ask him about it tonight in the investigation. From the way his mother was wording things it sounded like she was confirming the abuse but she did not want her to ask him about it in front of others. "Are you implying that Sam was abused by Dupont and will be of assistance in making the case?"

Yvonne's face gave nothing away as she said "What I said can be taken many ways. What I will clearly state is that my son is an honorable man who will always do the right thing even if that means sacrificing himself. I will not allow him to sacrifice himself any more than he has already. He has had too much pain and given too much already in the service of others. He deserves happiness."

Sally thought for a moment on what Mrs. Braddock said. He deserved happiness. His name was raked over the coals with this whole aggravated assault thing. She could only imagine what the media would do to him if he were a victim of assault by Dupont. It would not be pretty and it would follow him the rest of his life.

She finally responded "I think I understand. You would like me to guarantee his anonymity. If I can do that then I have a solid case against Dupont. If I cannot then I'm out of luck."

Sally watched Mrs. Braddock closely for a reaction. The only thing she saw was a small smile as Yvonne said "I believe we understand one another perfectly."

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Library**_

Chief Alnwick entered the room and saw that Mrs. Braddock had rearranged the room to his specifications. There were now four, long tables setup in a square formation. There was a gap on one side where the small couch for Braddock was placed. Behind the couch were placed several additional chairs.

As the room filled the attendees took preassigned seats. At one table were Justice Christenson, Chief Alynwick, Deputy Chief Barnes and Commander Holleran. Directly across from that table was the couch for Sam and at the table in order from the couch outward were Dale Gibbson, Isaac Glover and Captain Brunello. In the chairs behind the couch sat Mason, the General, Kingsley Randolph and Dr. Mallard. The table to the right of the couch sat Jules, Spike, Wordy, Ed and Greg. At the table across from them were Ms. Rowan, Detective Fulco, Detective Jackson, Head of SIU Caldwell and the Metro PD legal representative Johnathon Kaylock.

Once everyone had attained their seat Chief Alnwick called the meeting to order. He stated "This is an official Internal Investigations hearing to determine if allegations levied against the Constables involved have merit and require disciplinary action or will be submitted to the Attorney General's office for prosecution."

"Given the nature of items we will be discussing and my involvement in one of the allegations I have asked Justice Christenson to act in my stead so that this hearing is run in an uncompromising impartial manner. Justice Christenson I hand the proceedings over to you sir."

Justice Christenson cleared his throat and said "All parties present will state their name, rank and purpose in attending for the records." Starting with the judge they went around the room until everyone stated their names. In the introductions Isaac Glover stated that his purpose in attending was to determine if any of the allegations warranted filing of criminal charges.

Then Christenson said "Chief Alnwick please read into the record all allegations that are being addressed in this hearing."

Alnwick opened his file and began "Multiple allegations have been made anonymously to the Internal Investigations Department by the public and via official police channels against several officers. Allegations stemming from actions taken by, decisions made by or observations of Constables under the jurisdiction of the Toronto Metro Police Department are as follows:

Constable Samuel Braddock  
1) Aggravated Assault and Battery with intent to cause Grievous Bodily Harm  
2) Unfit for Duty resulting from Extreme Mental and Emotional Distress  
3) Criminal Flight to Avoid Prosecution  
4) Willful Suppression of Evidence and Perjury in Criminal Proceedings  
5) Conduct Unbecoming an Officer

Constable Michelangelo Scarlatti  
1) Conspiracy to Criminal Flight to Avoid Prosecution  
2) Conduct Unbecoming an Officer  
3) Willful Suppression of Evidence and Perjury in Criminal Proceedings

Constable Edward Lane:  
1) Conspiracy to Criminal Flight to Avoid Prosecution  
2) Conduct Unbecoming an Officer  
3) Willful Suppression of Evidence and Perjury in Criminal Proceedings  
4) Illegal Seizure of Evidence

Constable Kevin Wordsworth  
1) Conspiracy to Criminal Flight to Avoid Prosecution  
2) Conduct Unbecoming an Officer  
3) Willful Suppression of Evidence and Perjury in Criminal Proceedings

Sergeant Gregory Parker  
1) Conspiracy to Criminal Flight to Avoid Prosecution  
2) Conduct Unbecoming an Officer  
3) Willful Suppression of Evidence and Perjury in Criminal Proceedings  
4) Discriminatory Job Practices resulting in Public Humiliation and Harassment

Constable Julianna Callaghan  
1) Conspiracy to Criminal Flight to Avoid Prosecution  
2) Conduct Unbecoming an Officer

Captain Rodrigo Brunello  
1) False Arrest  
2) Excessive Restraint resulting in Grievous Bodily Harm  
3) Dereliction to Duty  
4) Failure to follow Protocol for Guarding Persons in Hospital  
5) Conduct Unbecoming an Officer

All of Team One and Captain Brunello sat completely stunned at the laundry list of allegations. Greg, Ed, Wordy and Spike all knew that their participation in removing Sam from the hospital might land them in hot water but to hear that allegations were levied against Sam and Jules for that was beyond belief.

What irritated them a lot was the allegation that they were somehow covering up Sam's actions and indicating that said actions were illegal. It annoyed them. They were also equally upset by was the allegation that Sam was unfit for duty and implying he suffered PTSD.

None of them were worried about the allegation of Aggravated Assault levied against Sam because of the previous hearing. That one should be dropped instantly. Sam, Spike and Jules shot Greg a strange look when they heard the Discriminatory allegation against the Sarge.

What they were pleasantly surprised to hear were the allegations against Captain Brunello. In their minds his actions demanded discipline of some sort. At best he had behaved rashly and unthinkingly. At worst it was deliberate and actions taken with malicious intent. They were interested in the outcome of the investigation.

Justice Christenson looked at the list that he was provided. He began mentally striking through all the allegations that were unjustified from what he had learned in the preliminary hearing they had just concluded. He looked to Detective Fulco and Agent Caldwell.

He spoke to both "I understand that there was a joint investigation between Metro Police Internal Investigation and SIU. Which one of you will be presenting the results of the investigation?"

Agent Caldwell raised his hand and stated "I will be handling the allegations against the SRU Team members. Detective Fulco recused himself from that investigation having had a prior working relationship with the Constables involved. Detective Fulco will be handling the investigation of Captain Brunello."

Christenson nodded then directed "Very good. Agent Caldwell please begin with your investigation results."

Caldwell looked to the Justice and stated "Many of the allegations against the members of SRU Team One stem from the same circumstances. I will be dealing with the allegations against them either individually or communally as the case warrants."

Opening the first file in front of him he said "Allegations against Constable Callaghan are easiest to deal with. Both the Conspiracy to Criminal Flight to Avoid Prosecution and subsequent Conduct Unbecoming an Officer allegation are found to be baseless."

"At the time of the actions for which those allegations were made Constable Callaghan was in a sedated state. She cannot be held accountable for actions taken by others. Both allegations against her are summarily dismissed and are to be expunged from her official records."

Team One all wanted to shout yeah but given they were still in the hearing they settled for quick smiles sent her way. Spike who was sitting next to her patted her back.

Caldwell closed the file then opened the next one in his pile. "The allegations of Criminal Flight to Avoid Prosecution and subsequent Conduct Unbecoming an Officer levied against Constable Braddock are found to be baseless and shall be summarily dismissed and expunged. The reason is Braddock was in a sedated state and was not a willing participant."

"The allegations of Conspiracy to Criminal Flight to Avoid Prosecution and subsequent Conduct Unbecoming an Officer against Constable Scarlatti are also found to be baseless and shall be summarily dismissed and expunged. The reason is Scarlatti was concussed at the time and under the influence of narcotic pain medication and cannot be held accountable for actions taken by others."

He continued "The allegations of Conspiracy to Criminal Flight to Avoid Prosecution and subsequent Conduct Unbecoming an Officer against Sergeant Parker and Constables Lane and Wordsworth shall be dismissed based on investigation results of Agent Stevens. The reasons uncovered by Agent Stevens for the movement of the accused have merit."

"Those reason include that the hospital was chaotic and deemed a non-secure facility. At the time of the move hospital security and protocols had been compromised through hiring of impostor Gerard Gaston aka Gaston Dupont. Removing Constable Braddock from hospital under police guard was necessary to safeguard him from additional physical harm."

"Furthermore it is found that Sergeant Parker as senior officer behaved properly and followed appropriate procedure given the circumstances. Agent Stevens noted that Parker contacted his superior Commander Holleran upon his arrival in Ottawa to report the location of Constable Braddock and the reasons for movement. Commander Holleran contacted Chief Alnwick and notified him of the same. Chief Alnwick spoke with Mr. Randolph, counsel for General Braddock, to have Constable Braddock officially remanded to his custody."

Wordy looked to Ed and Greg with relief flooding his expression. Of all the allegations the flight one had scared him most. There was some merit to it being levied because they acted without permission first. He was glad the investigation gave greater weight to the need to protect Sam.

Ed patted Wordy's back and whispered to him "I told you not to worry about that one." Wordy just nodded in response.

Caldwell opened another file and remarked "The allegation against Constable Lane for Illegal Seizure of Evidence is found to be baseless and shall be summarily dismissed and expunged. Agent Stevens spoke with Camilla Ridley Head of Security for the hospital and found that the copy of the video obtained by Lane was freely given upon reasonable explanation of the need. Furthermore, Camilla Ridley wanted it to go on record that the request for the video led the security office to uncover illegal actions occurring within the hospital security department."

Wordy returned the pat on the back to Ed. It was Ed's turn to nod in response to Wordy. Both thought, so far so good.

Closing that file and moving it to the dealt with pile, Caldwell opened the next one and stated "The allegation against Sergeant Parker for Discriminatory Job Practices resulting in Public Humiliation and Harassment filed by Constable Brisa Horne have been thoroughly investigated by Internal Investigations and Human Resources. Interviews were conducted with thirty two witnesses to the event."

Caldwell launched into the details of the allegation and the findings from the investigation and quoted from several statements including those from Jude and Chad. Concluding the details Caldwell stated "Based on the witness statements it is found that Brisa Horne's actions were out of line and bordered on insubordination. Sergeant Parker was well within his rights to dismiss Ms. Horne from Team One because trust is paramount in ensuring an SRU Team's safety."

"With her open disdain for a valued and injured member of the team there was no place to begin building trust. Keeping Ms. Horne on the team could have put all members of the team at risk. Therefore this allegation is found to be baseless and shall be summarily dismissed. Furthermore, Brisa Horne was charged with Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and has been transferred to a new department and received disciplinary actions related to her actions."

Greg felt relieved that those charges were dropped. He hoped that Brisa would change her attitude otherwise her career would be short lived.

Sam had been surprised by this charge against the Boss. No fairer man had he ever run across. He was glad the brass saw the allegation had no merit. Hearing the statements of so many that stood up for him felt amazing. He was sure that more people would believe the news reports especially since the brass had not yet issued any statement in his defense.

But then again they had not made any statement accusing him either. It seemed like the Chief was trying to get to the facts and truth before issuing a statement. That spoke volumes to him about the man leading the department; fair, just and impartial came to mind.

Sam yawned and rubbed his gritty eyes. He was getting as tired as he had been when Blaze sat next to him at dinner. He covered his mouth as he yawned again. God he wanted to go to bed and sleep but he had to get through this first. Sam refocused his eyes on Caldwell.

Caldwell again shuffled around the files "Moving on to the serious allegation of Willful Suppression of Evidence and Perjury in Criminal Proceedings against Sergeant Parker and Constables Lane, Wordsworth, Scarlatti and Braddock. Careful attention was paid to the investigation into this claim. The implications of officers hiding behind or participating in the so called blue wall of silence have far reaching repercussions for the Department with the public."

Sam stiffened. He had been here before and left to deal with the issues himself. The irony of being accused of something he was the victim of years before was not lost on him. He wondered how this administration would deal with the claim.

He was thoroughly pissed that his teammates were charged with covering for him. They did not deserve that. Just what exactly were they supposed to be covering up? Their statements were directly in line with the video and what occurred. He hoped his assessment of the Chief as fair and just was accurate and these charges would be dropped too.

Brunello sat back. He was feeling decidedly uncomfortable. He wished to god he had never made these allegations. Looking at what he knew now he wished he had slowed down and looked at all the facts. He thought he should just hand in his resignation right now.

Agent Caldwell launched into the details of the investigation into the allegations. Once he had completed that and before delivering his findings he looked at Chief Alnwick, Caldwell stated "I have been informed that Chief Alnwick has a statement he wishes to make regarding this allegation."

Chief Alnwick cleared his throat and looked directly at Sam. He found it odd that the Constable was blinking and looked to be stifling a yawn. Were the proceedings boring him? Alnwick looked a little closer before speaking. No Braddock was not bored. The young constable looked to be utterly exhausted. No doubt he was.

Alnwick had planned a long speech detailing how he felt about the blue wall of silence and how he knew the Department had failed Braddock not once but twice. How he would do everything in his power to prevent it happening to any officer in the future and to clear his name now. All the things he wanted to say to possibly sway the man from suing the Department.

But seeing how wiped out the officer was right now he scaled his comments back to the bare minimum "Constable Braddock. The Toronto Metro Police Department wishes to express their deepest regret that you have been accused of hiding behind the blue wall of silence. I have reviewed the file from twelve years ago. Based on the file I cannot tell if you were ever given a formal apology for the acts perpetrated on you by fellow officers."

Wordy, Spike and Jules turned their heads towards Sam. All three had the same thoughts. What happened twelve years ago to Sam was beyond awful. What his fellow officers did to him was reprehensible. Jules knew that the stiff emotionless mask on Sam's face was hiding hurt. She wished she could soothe it.

Alnwick continued "I will not rehash the details here. But what I want to make clear to all is that your actions both then and now reflect positively on this Department. Sadly this Department has failed miserably twice to protect you and your reputation. I will be working directly with the Attorney General to ensure that an appropriate statement is given to the press that will enlighten the public as to the honorable man you truly are. The Department could use more men and women of your caliber."

Sam nodded once to the Chief when he was finished. Sam had respect for the man. It appeared Alnwick was willing to see beyond the gossip and go for the facts. Sam stifled yet another yawn. God he was exhausted. He was pulling on his last reserves to stay attentive to the proceedings.

He found his eyes starting to close. Sam set his hand on his thigh and pushed gently hoping a little pain would wake him up. It worked a bit. His eyes reopened but he wished this was over with already.

Only two more allegations to get through, both claimed against him. Once they were done with him he could request to be allowed to leave. He did not need to be in the room for Brunello's charges. His eyes tried to close again but he forced them open and looked to Caldwell.

Caldwell smiled lightly at Sam. He thought Sam looked a bit bored with the proceeding so he stated "Well after that statement my findings are clearly anti-climactic. But for the record, this allegation is found to be baseless and shall be summarily dismissed and expunged from all officers' records."

Opening the next to last file in front of him Caldwell stated "With regard to the allegation against Constable Braddock for Aggravated Assault and Battery with intent to cause Grievous Bodily Harm. The investigative findings support the findings of the criminal charges that were recently dismissed. Therefore this allegation is found to be baseless and shall be summarily dismissed and expunged from Constable Braddock's records."

Greg, Ed, Wordy, Spike and Jules had been keeping track of the allegations. How could they not? All five of them realized there was just one allegation left. It was the one they all worried about most. Sam's abduction by Vlad, his reactions to the cologne, his recollection of the sexual abuse by Dupont and his own admission of being 'fine' put Sam at jeopardy for the claim of Unfit for Duty resulting from Extreme Mental and Emotional Distress. They wondered how this one would shake out.

Jules looked to Sam and began to worry. It appeared to her that he was shutting down. His eyes were half closed and there was a blankness to him. He must be almost spent. Sam was so tired earlier and admitted to her he could sleep for a week. He looked to be trying his best to remain alert. Jules wished Sam could just go lie down but she knew he was too prideful to request a break. He would push passed his limits in order not to appear weak in front of the brass.

Christ he was so damned tired Sam thought. Please let me be able to stay awake for this last allegation. He thought how would it look to them all if he just fell asleep during the hearing, especially when it was dealing with claims against him. Sam wanted badly to just lean his head back and go to sleep. With half closed eyes he covered another yawn by turning it into a deep breath.

Caldwell opened the last file "The final allegation against Constable Braddock is Unfit for Duty resulting from Extreme Mental and Emotional Distress. Given the circumstances around recent events we have taken a close look at this allegation. Constable Braddock was abducted by force then tortured by Vlad Reznik. He was then tormented by odors that brought back painful childhood memories. Then he was attacked at the hospital by the same man that beat him as a child. Finally he awoke cuffed and flashed back to a time he was held captive by terrorists. All of this poses the question, is Constable Braddock fit for duty."

Looking at Detective Jackson Caldwell said "Before we conclude these findings Detective Sally Jackson has a few questions she needed to put forth to Constable Braddock. Detective please ask your questions."

Sally had intended to ask about the sexual abuse at this time to determine if it was a factor in his mental state at the time of his beating of Dupont. But after her conversation with Mrs. Braddock she decided not to ask. She would not put him in a position to answer those questions in this forum and reveal the extent of the abuse by Dupont. She would do that privately at a later date especially since with Dupont's injuries he wasn't going anywhere at the moment.

Instead she changed her question. Looking down at the sheet in front of her she asked "Constable Braddock based on the testimony in the preliminary hearing you have suffered abduction and torture before. You have successfully passed all psych evaluations and Dr. Tansy clearly states that you do not have PTSD and have proper coping mechanisms. My question therefore is, if you find yourself in need of help dealing with recent events will you seek out help?"

Still looking down at her paper she waited for an answer. When none was forthcoming she looked up and at Sam asking "Please answer the question Constable."

All eyes had been on Detective Jackson and now turned to Sam waiting for him to answer.

Deputy Chief Barnes said out loud "I'll be damned. He fell asleep."

Ed laughed and said "Guess I'm adding to Samo's unacceptable places to nap list." All of Team One, except Sam laughed quietly at their inside joke as the rest of the room looked at them confused.

General Braddock looked to Detective Jackson and answered "My son has sought help in the past and knowing him as I do he will seek help if he requires it. For now, given his injuries I ask that he is not woken to give his answer. I respectfully request that he be excused from the remainder of the proceedings."

Justice Christenson asked Detective Jackson "Are you satisfied with the answer given by the General for Constable Braddock?"

Amazed that Sam was asleep she just nodded then answered "Yes."

Caldwell then concluded "Based on the investigation, past history, testimony from Dr. Tansy and Dr. Marfont and the fact that Constable Braddock was on medical leave at the time of the incident, this allegation is found to be baseless and shall be summarily dismissed and expunged from Constable Braddock's records."

Closing the last file Caldwell stated "Your Honor, that concludes the investigation results for the allegations levied against Sergeant Parker and Constables Lane, Wordsworth, Scarlatti, Callaghan and Braddock."

Christenson then stated "We will take a short break. Constable Braddock is excused. His presence is not required for the findings against Captain Brunello."

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Sam's Room**_

Team One had followed Mason and the General to Sam's room. Mason carefully set Sam on the bed. They were all surprised that he did not stir. Dr. Mallard came in to check on him. After several minutes Dr. Mallard stood and addressed the room full of worried faces.

"All vitals are just fine. The young man is just simply exhausted. He pushed beyond what he should have and his body is forcing him to rest. Sam will be just fine after a bit of rest. His body needs rest to heal" Dr. Mallard stated then pulled the covers up over Sam.

The team filed out of his room breathing a sigh of relief.

Greg looked at the four gathered around him "Well I'm glad that is over."

Wordy interjected "Not quite. I wonder what the findings against Brunello will be."


	25. Consequences, Conference & Celebrations

**Consequences, Conference & Celebrations**

* * *

 _ **Two Days Later – General Braddock's Home – Family Room**_

It was near nine am, after a late, leisurely breakfast and Spike, Sam and Jules were alone in the family room. Jules sat on the long soft couch with Sam's head lying in her lap. She toyed with his hair as Spike was presenting his security plan to her. Spike had schematics and everything. She could see that Spike had put a lot of thought into his plan.

She tried real hard not to laugh as she said "Spike you can't be serious. Cameras _in_ the bathroom?"

Spike stopped and looked at her with wide eyed innocence and seriousness "Yeah. If not then you will have blind spots in your security."

Sam interjected "I'm thinking certain places are good to have blind spots."

"What if someone hacks my system Spike? Ya think I really want them to be able to see me in the bathroom?" Jules added.

"But I'm installing a firewall and encryption" Spike said as if that would answer all objections.

Jules tried a different tack "Could you hack the firewall and encryption?"

Without thinking Spike answered quickly "Yeah, but that's what I do."

Sam and Jules just let the silence reign. Finally it hit Spike "Oh."

Sam chuckled "Yeah, Oh."

Not daunted by the sudden realization that someone with the right skills could hack into Jules's system too Spike got right back into his enthusiastic mode. "Alright then, scratch the cameras in the bathrooms. What'd ya think of the rest?"

Jules smiled at Spike "The rest sounds good Spike. Thank you. Come here."

Spike went over to her. He bent down when she opened her arms. She wrapped them around him and hugged.

Sam's head was getting a little squished and he said "Ok little tight here."

Pulling away from Jules Spike quipped "Quit complaining Braddock. Jules can hug me if she wants."

"Sure she can, just let me get out from between you two first. Kinda like my head the way it is. Crushed between you two, not so much" Sam said pushing himself up off Jules's lap and into a seated position.

Jules hugged Spike again and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. She was overwhelmed by these two. It was Spike's plan and he had worked very hard on it. Sam had told her it was his treat to install it. When she had balked earlier about it he explained his trust fund. She had been stunned mostly that he was going to touch it for something for her.

Reaching out to grab a hand of Sam and Spike in hers Jules said "I'm lucky to have two wonderful guys in my life that care about me."

Sam leaned over and kissed her cheek "Not worth livin' without you in it."

He liked that his words stopped her in her tracks. Whatever she was about to say died on her lips as her eyes softened into liquid pools of chocolate as she looked lovingly at him.

Spike pulled away and sat in a nearby chair. Spike fake pouted "And there is the reason all the girls fall for Sam. He knows the right thing to say to all the girls."

Sam grinned "Nah, not to all the girls, just to the right one."

The trio was interrupted as Blaze, Winds and Jim entered the family room. Blaze looked at Blondie and liked what he saw. There was actual color in his face. He looked somewhat rested having slept the entire day yesterday. The kid had needed it, still needed more though in his mind.

They were all surprised he had zonked out during the internal investigations hearing. Ed and he had talked about it and they decided it was much like the time Blondie conked out after returning to SRU headquarters when he signed himself out AMA after the gang war. Blondie must have felt safe and secure here. When he'd pushed beyond his limit of endurance his body just shut down to protect him.

Winds happily said "Well if it ain't Sleeping Beast himself. Glad to see you awake Blondie." He plopped down into one of the soft leather overstuffed chairs.

Jim found a seat too and added "Thought you might just sleep today away too. You know you probably could use it."

"Nah, I'm good" Sam responded leaning his head on Jules's shoulder.

Everyone perked up. He was good not fine. Hot damn! That made every single one of them smile.

Blaze asked "Any coffee left over?"

Sam responded "In the kitchen, mom just finished making a fresh pot. Grab me some."

Blaze responded "Not on your life. Jim says you still can't have caffeine. Not goin against Jim."

Mason headed out of the kitchen into the family room "Sunshine, your mom gave me your travel mug full of water and said you better drink it all." He gave Sam a wink as he set it down on the table next to him.

"Thanks Gorgeous" Sam responded with a smile.

Jules looked at Sam. Something definitely was up for him to give up so easily. She reached over him and grabbed his mug and took a quick sip. She nearly choked. Busted!

Sam looked at her with a cocky tilt to his head and a lopsided grin "Stealing my water?"

She couldn't help the small snicker that escaped as she raised one eyebrow and said "That's exceptional water. Your mom must make it special for you."

Taking his mug from her and saluting with it then taking a long drink he sighed "aaahhh" then answered "Yep. Mom's the best."

Winds and Spike just looked at the two during the exchange. There was definitely an undercurrent between them; an inside joke perhaps. Blaze returned with a fresh mug of steaming coffee and lowered himself into a chair. The group engaged in general conversations just enjoying each other's company.

Sam was sitting and listening when he realized he never found out what happened with Brunello. He asked "So what happened in the hearing after I nodded off?"

Spike's eyes got an excited look and he sat forward in the chair "Samtastic you're not gonna believe what happened."

Sam glanced at Jules to check if Spike's animated excitement was on par with what she felt had happened. He just saw her give him a smirk that turned into a smile then she said "Nope Sam wouldn't be able to guess in a million years."

That pricked his interest "So what happened?"

Spike launched into it "Well we all went back in after Mason carried you out and Dr. Mallard said you were okay just needed sleep. All the brass were beside themselves worried that they had pushed you too far that day."

"Alnwick was upset and apologized to the General saying that they should have waited until you were doing better before they held the hearing. The General assured them it was something you were looking forward to getting over and that you knew your limits and would have called halt if it was too much."

"Anyways Christenson started to reconvene the hearing when they looked around and could not find Captain Brunello. He was just gone. They checked the study, the family room, the bathrooms, the kitchen and the patio. He was nowhere to be found."

Jules took over and said a little sadly feeling compassion for the man "Then the General and Detective Fulco headed towards the pond. They found the guy there sobbing. I mean like huge buckets of snot sobbing."

"Brunello felt so much remorse for jumping the gun and for not getting the whole story first. He was especially distraught that he ordered that you be cuffed and that you were injured further because of it. They got the guy calmed down and brought him back to the house."

Spike picked back up "So the hearing starts and he's sitting there all dejected not saying a single word and not offering any defense of his actions. They found him guilty of Excessive Restraint resulting in Grievous Bodily Harm, Failure to follow Protocol for Guarding Persons in Hospital and Conduct Unbecoming an Officer."

"The only charges they dismissed were False Arrest and Dereliction to Duty. They could not make a case for those. All they had on those were that his judgement in those areas were off and incomplete."

"I'm pretty sure the only reason he wasn't fired was his contrition and acknowledgement that he screwed up big time. He did not try to excuse his behavior in anyway. He said it was clear he used extremely poor judgement and even offered to resign."

"Alnwick did not accept his resignation. The Chief said something about restitution and rehabilitation being a better course than retribution in this case based on Brunello's service history with the department. Alnwick gave him a second chance but basically threw the book at him."

Sam was intrigued and part of him wished he had not missed this "What do you mean?"

Jules answered "He was ordered to retake all academy tests on processes and procedures and pass with a 90%. Promotions and pay increases for him have been frozen for a period of three years. He was suspended without pay for three weeks and ordered to undergo mandatory counseling sessions once a week for two months."

"Additionally, he was fined 30 days' pay and ordered to complete 400 hours of community service within the next year. Finally, all his case files will be sent for internal review for the next six months. If he shows serious lack of judgement in any case he will be fired."

Sam listened to the consequences for Brunello's actions "Wow the Chief is sure sending a message. Brunello actually agreed to all of that?"

Jules nodded "Yeah he did. I'm glad the Chief ordered the counseling sessions. The guy looked to be a real mess after hearing the truth about Dupont."

"From what we heard in the hearing he is not a bad cop. He has been on the force for twenty three years without a black mark against him. He just used extremely poor judgement that day and was swayed by the lies of Blather and Dupont."

"I still can't believe Blather did all that just to make a name for himself. I mean who wants that kind of media attention?" Sam said shaking his head.

Spike laughed "Well Blather sure made a name for himself. Just not quite the name he was expecting."

Blaze interjected "But one that was well deserved."

Winds agreed "The blithering idiot got what he deserved. I can't wait to see the media lambast him."

Kyle raced in quickly followed by the rest of the cousins and Laura. He switched on the TV saying excitedly "Sam you're gonna wanna watch this."

* * *

 _ **Outside Toronto Superior Court of Justice**_

There was palpable energy brewing around the courthouse. It was almost like chum had been thrown into a school of great white sharks. Media outlets from around the country were all jockeying for the best positions.

They had started showing up at four pm yesterday in order to stake claim to their little patch of ground for the press conference that was scheduled for eleven am. Yesterday at three pm the Attorney General had announced to that he and the Chief of Police would be making a joint statement regarding Constable Braddock at eleven am today.

A raised podium has been installed so that all media would be able to see and loudspeakers brought out so all could hear. It was a large podium; big enough for at least a dozen people to stand on. At ten-fifty am a hush started to descend on the gathered crowd of media and the general public as people began to ascend the podium. Camera operators switched on their cameras for the live fed to their news stations.

The first to ascend was an Army General who offered his hand to assist a very dignified elderly woman in ascending followed by an Army Colonel. Next the media saw three members of an SRU team followed by a Commander and Deputy Chief of Police. Then the Chief of Police himself arrived followed by the Attorney General. There was complete silence when the group saw the final man join those assembled on the podium.

Chief Alnwick stepped forward to the mike and addressed the crowd. Alnwick announced "Before we begin I will introduce those on the podium. I am Chief of Police Alnwick and starting from my right we have Constable Wordsworth, Constable Lane, Sergeant Parker, SRU Commander Holleran, Deputy Chief Barnes, Attorney General Shelton, Colonel Sutton, Grande Dame Marbella Ridgewater, General of Special Forces William Braddock and Commander-in-Chief of Canadian Armed Forces James McFergus."

The crowd was dumbfounded with the all those on the podium. What was this about? It couldn't be a simple Braddock has been fired from the Police Force for being a criminal statement. Especially not with General Braddock and the Commander-in-Chief on the podium.

Stepping back Alnwick looked out at the crowd before him. They appeared to be awestruck with the gathering of big guns. Attorney General Shelton stepped forward to the mike.

Shelton took a moment to assess the crowd then said "As you no doubt are aware a local incident has garnered significant attention nationwide. It has sparked debate about a so called blue wall of silence. There has been much speculation and little fact bantered about in the media for days."

"The reputation of Constable Samuel Braddock has taken a significant beating. He has been vilified, tried and convicted by the media. All with no evidence to back up the statements."

"The delegation before you has the true measure of the man who has been dragged through the mud. We are here to set the record straight."

"For all those inferring that Constable Braddock must be guilty because the police did not give a statement in support of the officer I say poppycock. Chief Alnwick did not make a statement as he is a man who allows the judiciary process to work. The incident had to be properly investigated and as all parties had not been interviewed it was not his place to make a statement one way or the other."

"Regarding the charges against Constable Braddock they have been summarily dismissed as the result of a preliminary hearing of evidence and facts. Let me repeat that so you are sure to get it right _all_ charges against him have been summarily dismissed."

"Evidence clearly shows that Constable Braddock acted in self-defense and the defense of others. While defending himself and others Constable Braddock was shot twice and severely injured but still managed to subdue the assailant. However, I will not go into more details here and now. This is not the appropriate venue to try the case being brought against several parties."

"That will occur in the proper place and time. Sufficient to say that there is evidence which indicates collusion on the part of Mr. Gerard Dupont, his counsel Mr. Blather and ACA Sundvqist to misrepresent the facts in this case. Appropriate charges will be filed against Mr. Gerard Dupont and Mr. Blather and others involved. No charges will be brought against ACA Sundvqist due to his unfortunate demise."

One reporter shouted "The victim was Gaston Dupont. Who is this Gerard Dupont?"

"Dupont was not the victim. He was the perpetrator." Shelton went on to explain the twin swap and indicated that real Gaston Dupont was innocent of any wrong doing and instrumental in sorting out the truth. The Attorney General stressed that Gaston was a victim of his brother's control. He clarified again that Gerard Dupont was not the victim in this case but the accused. Then he reiterated he would not be trying the case in public that it was up to a court of law to do that.

Shelton concluded "As for clearing up misconceptions surrounding Constable Braddock's character several would like to speak to the media. Grande Dame Ridgewater the floor is yours."

Bella moved elegantly toward the microphone. She gave the crowd a pleasant smile as she stated "I am alive today because of the actions of Constable Braddock when he was only eighteen years old and a rookie police officer." Bella went on to recount how Sam had stepped forward and assisted the Internal Investigations in nailing four dirty cops and how he saved her life the day they abducted her. When she was done she gave the floor to Chief Alnwick.

Alnwick cleared his voice and stated "Constable Braddock has been viciously accused of hiding behind the blue wall of silence. I am here to set the record straight by sharing with you how far-fetched accusations of that nature are with this Constable." He went on to share with the public a small part of what Braddock put up with after turning in Snow and the other dirty cops and how the department had cleaned house afterwards.

He concluded "Unfortunately those events resulted with Braddock resigning from the force and joining the Army. Our city's loss was the nation's gain. I'm grateful that when he choose to leave the Army that he gave our city another chance. Samuel Braddock has served this city well as a member of the SRU Team One for several years. I hope he recovers sufficiently from his wounds and returns to active duty soon."

When Alnwick finished he motioned to Commander-in-Chief McFergus.

McFergus stepped forward "I have had the pleasure of meeting Constable Braddock personally. I met with him when he was recovering from wounds that would have been life limiting for most men. It was my honor to present to him in a private ceremony many of the service medals and awards he earned as Master Corporal Braddock. The most notable were five Sacrifice Medals and the Cross of Valour."

"Samuel Braddock is a humble man who insisted he did not deserve the honors. He insisted he was just doing his job. I can only wish that everyone did their jobs as well as Master Corporal Braddock. The world would be a much better place if they did."

The Attorney General stepped forward again and spoke "As you can see Constable Braddock was unfairly treated by the media. It is our hope that in the future, cases of this nature will not be sensationalized and the reputations of good men and women sullied unnecessarily."

He concluded the press conference saying "As we still have an open case and there is a gag order in place regarding any details other than the statement that charges were dismissed against Constable Braddock we will not be answering any questions at this time. Thank you for your attention."

With that the group on the podium walked down the stairs and headed into the courthouse. Reporters started babbling off their reports for their respective stations.

* * *

 _ **Inside Toronto Superior Court of Justice – Conference Room 101**_

General Braddock moved toward Commander-in-Chief McFergus and said in a low tone "Sir, I have your word that all court-marital proceedings of Sergeant Dupont are sealed."

McFergus looked to his friend "Those proceedings involved a child. By that fact alone they are sealed. Don't worry Will, nothing can be accessed by the press to further torment Samuel. Should anything be leaked the person involved will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

"What about the reports on the friendly fire incident" General Braddock questioned.

The Commander-in-Chief answered "That's a matter of national security as you well know. So is the court-martial of Corporal Merrill. All records are sealed. Don't worry Will."

The General snorted "James that's all I do when it comes to Samuel. He tends to attract trouble even when he's doing the right thing."

McFergus patted his friend on the back "You have my word. We will do all in our power to keep those items out of the hands of nosey reporters and the public eye. It would serve no purpose to air any of it."

William blew out a breath "He's not going to be too pleased with what just occurred. Part of me wants to have a reason to head off to Kandahar right now instead of heading home and facing him. Things were going so well between us too."

McFergus laughed "Where do you want me to send the flowers for your funeral?"

Bella walked up to the two "What's so funny Jamie?"

The Commander-in-Chief sobered but could not get rid of the grin completely "Nothing Bella. It's always so nice to see you. Thank you for coming today. I'm sure Samuel will appreciate your support."

Bella nodded thinking I'm not so sure about that. Then looked to the General "Wilie, I know Sammy's not going to be pleased with what we did today. I'm going to make myself scarce while he calms down. When you see him later today please tell him I will be visiting him in a few weeks."

Seeing the look on her godson's face Bella grinned "You'll be safe Willie. He might yell at you but he can't even stand right now and he'll calm down before he can do anything to you he would later regret."

William grimaced "Don't bet on it Bella. I learned my lesson when I thought Samuel was blind and defenseless. I will never underestimate his abilities again. He's like that damn knight in that Monty Python movie with no arms and legs yelling 'it's just a flesh wound'."

James and Bella laughed.

Bella softly said "I wish we could make him see he's not invincible. Love that boy too much to lose him."

* * *

 _ **Hospital – Staff Lounge**_

Whoops and hollers were heard halfway down the hall from the staff lounge as the press conference concluded. Heather and Claire hugged as Lois Clarry looked on. There was chatter among many speculating on all the Sacrifice medals and on what Samtastic did to earn the Cross of Valour.

Heather said rather loudly "I'd like to personally thank Dr. Mallard, Lois Clarry, Claire, Jack and Barry for all their help the night we moved Sam and Jules to the helicopter. It was the right thing to do. I'm glad that Samtastic has been vindicated. We all knew what kind of man he is. Thank you all again."

Jack raised his soda and said "Here's to Sam. Wishing he makes a speedy and complete recovery and is back keeping our streets safe again soon."

Cheers and agreements with that sentiment went round the room.

Martin slunk into the room part way through the press conference. He had felt so small when he apologized profusely to Nurse Clarry and she asked if he had learned his lesson. He had told her yes. But after hearing the press conference he felt so small again. He had been so completely wrong in his assessment. Martin looked around the room and saw similar looks shame on several faces. They were the faces of others who had believed all the news reports too.

The head of the orderlies answered his phone in the midst of all the merriment and had to step outside the room to hear. Upon returning to the room he sought out Martin and grinned as he said "Martin, the patient in room 451 is being relocated. I want you to transport the patient."

Martin looked at his boss "Me? You want me to transport him?"

His boss looked at him "Well transportation is part of your job role isn't it?"

"Yes. But you want me to transport him? Where?"

"They will tell you when you arrive. Now get going" his boss ordered.

Martin trotted out of the room. Finally I'm off crap duty. He crossed his fingers hoping he knew the destination of the patient in room 451.

* * *

 _ **Hospital – Room 451**_

He was thankful that the brass had allowed him this one thing. In the overall scheme of life it looked to be a tiny little thing. But to him it was huge. To him it was the first step in making amends for a serious wrong he had committed. This was his last official act for the next three weeks. He noticed the orderly was already in the room. Good. This will be swift.

Captain Brunello stepped into Gerard Dupont's room. Dupont perked up. Maybe now he would be able to get some respect around here. Dupont had been left to his own devices with the nurses promising to bring him a remote or a magazine but then always having some excuse for forgetting.

He had been trapped in this room with nothing to do but stare at the ceilings and walls for days on end. Someone had even closed his blinds several days ago. No matter how he gestured no one seemed to understand he wanted them opened. His room was mostly dark because they turned off the lights when they left too.

The only people he saw was the orderly now waiting in his room. He was the one who was always called when he had to use the bedpan. He never talked to him; just did his job and left. What was he doing here now? He didn't need to use the bedpan.

Other than the cursory questions on pain levels the nurses also said nothing to him. They did their job but only the bare minimum. He would report them but he couldn't even write a note to send to the Hospital Director because three days ago his pen and paper went missing. The nurses had failed to replace that also always having some excuse.

But now Captain Brunello was entering his room. Dupont would get this all sorted out and he would get the respect he deserved. Then he noticed Camilla Ridley behind Brunello. What did she want? He couldn't stand that she was the second in command of security. He was going to talk to the Hospital Director soon about hiring a suitable temporary replacement. He made a gesture of pen and paper writing to Brunello. He was ignored.

Captain Brunello stepped to the end of the bed and waited for Camilla Ridley to enter and stand next to him. He stood tall his first act of redemption would take place just after Camilla delivered her parting shot.

Cami smiled as she took in the darkened room. She turned and walked to the wall and flicked on the light. She wanted to see his face clearly.

Returning to the end of the bed Cami stated clearly "Gerard Dupont you have been fired based on three reasons. First you lied on your application using a false name and not disclosing you were separated from the Army with a Bad Conduct Discharge. Secondly you tampered with the alignment of cameras breaking patient privacy policies. Lastly, you hacked into secure video feeds in the pediatrics units that are there for the sole purpose of the nurse to keep watch on their patients."

Dupont was reeling. She called him Gerard. What did his little shit of a brother do now? Wait. It had to be Braddock. God dammit I should have shot him in the back when I had the chance in the physical therapy room. Better yet I should have snapped his little neck as a boy in that burned out house. His eyes burned with hatred. With his mouth wired shut he could not yell what he was thinking.

Cami nodded to Brunello. He nodded back then turned to Dupont. He pulled his handcuffs out and handcuffed Dupont to the bed.

He stepped back and said "Gerard Dupont you are under arrest for the attempted murder of Constable Braddock, General Braddock and Constable Scarlatti." He read him his rights then said "If you cannot afford an attorney one will be appointed for you."

Dupont tried to say "Blather." It came out mumbled as he yanked his hand trying to disengage the handcuff with is other hand. Seeing this action Brunello stepped to the other side of the bed and pulled out a second set of cuffs and restrained his other hand "If you are good they may uncuff one hand when you get to where you are going."

Brunello grinned "Oh and Blather. He will not be your lawyer. Blather needs one of his own. You will get the full list of charges against you in a few days." Turning to the orderly Brunello stated "Orderly you may now transport the prisoner to the seventh floor to room 707."

Over the din of Dupont's angry growls as he struggled against the restraints on the bed Martin smiled and said "With pleasure Officer."

* * *

 _ **Eastern Commerce Collegiate Institute**_

The incident at the hospital was such a big local event that had caused much discussion in the classrooms. Many teachers had used the event as a teaching aid trying to make their dry texts come alive for the students.

In English classes it was used as a basis to write opinion or persuasive papers. In civics class it was a launch board for discussing due process and rights of the accused. Even in cooking classes it sparked a class on creative liquid diets that were nutritionally balanced. It was so widely used that the principal allowed the teachers to tune into the press conference.

Clark was glad that his mom had spoken with the principal yesterday and his suspension had been lifted so he could return to school today. He wouldn't have missed being here today for anything. All those idiots that thought Sam was guilty were going to be eating crow. He wanted to see their faces.

His class just finished watching the news conference as the bell rang ending class. Now Clark was high-tailing it towards Dean's classroom. He skidded to a halt half way as Dean skidded to a halt coming from the other direction. They dropped their backpacks and did a double high five and they both yelled "YEAH!"

A group of friends gathered round them and there was much back slapping going on as everyone celebrated the news with Dean and Clark.

One of the girls asked "Did you guys know he had a Cross of Valour?"

Clark shook his head "No. Sam's not like that. Doesn't like to brag about stuff."

That launched into a bunch of questions from others around them. They answered what they could until the bell for the next period rang.

Dean started for his next class then he called over his shoulder "See ya after school. Maybe Dad will let us call Sam."

Clark replied shouting to be heard "Yeah, maybe we can talk our dads in to taking us to visit them this weekend."

As he turned to head to his class Clark saw the friends of the guys who had been suspended for two weeks. They looked embarrassed. He gave them a look and as he sprinted passed them to class he couldn't help himself as he said "Told you he was innocent."

* * *

 _ **Natasha's Dance Studio**_

Shel watched with a smile as Allie and the group of little girls tried their best to follow along with the teacher. At best only half the little girls were doing what they should be. Some just sat and watched. Others tried but lagged way behind. Some just twirled around happily to the music doing their own thing. It was priceless watching the little ones.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around. The smile faltered. There was a whole group of mothers surrounding her and she recognized many of them as the ones that had been awful to her several days ago. What did they want now?

One of the women who had stood with the mean ones stepped forward with her hands behind her back. Shel didn't realize she took a step backwards until a frown reached the other women's face.

Quickly the woman said "Shelley I'm so sorry. I should have said something when everyone was being so awful the other day. I'm sorry I didn't offer my support." She brought her arms from behind her back and handed Shel a bouquet of flowers.

Another woman said "We are all so ashamed of the way we treated you. You are a great mom and we all know that."

A friend of Shel's who was not there that day stepped forward "You are so caring and a good judge of character. I'm sorry I wasn't here that day Shel." She pulled Shel into a hug.

After that each of the women apologized and hugged her. Several made comments that they were glad that Sam was cleared. The last to step forward was the owner of the dance studio.

Natasha said "Shelley I am so sorry that occurred here. I would like you to know I do not condone that kind of behavior in my studio. I like a supportive environment for all the families that bring their children to me. I have told Mrs. Cabrera that she will need to find a new dance studio for her girls. What she said to you was unforgivable. I will not have someone like her infecting my environment."

Shel was so surprised. Happy but surprised. The mothers spread out and started watching the little girls again as the normal positive vibe of the dance studio returned.

* * *

 _ **The Goose**_

Ed, Wordy and Greg walked into the Goose. As they headed to a table a round of applause was heard. Casey the waitress came directly to their table with three drinks, two beers and a soda. "On the house boys. You all looked awesome on TV."

Dale who was sitting at another table with Donna, Mike and several other off-duty SRU team members pounded on the table gathering everyone's attention. Once he got it he shouted "SAMTASTIC!"

Rounds of here, here and many more congratulatory exclamations were made. The crowd was rowdy and in good spirits at Sam's exoneration. Everyone milled around the rotated by Team One's table asking how Sam, Spike and Jules were and offering supportive comments.

About an hour later when things had calmed down Wordy leaned forward on the table with a contented smile "Feels good."

Ed responded "Yeah it does."

Greg said "Will feel even better when the team's all back together again."

Ed and Wordy nodded in complete agreement.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Sam's Room**_

Sam turned his head and looked at the clock, two am. He shifted slightly not wanting to wake Jules.

A sleepy soft voice said "Sam you wake? You need anything? Are you in pain?" Jules waited for him to respond.

"No. I'm good. Just thinking" Sam answered.

Jules was pretty sure what he was thinking about. He had been pissed off at the press conference. He blustered and yelled that they didn't need to parade his medals around like some damned circus show. Sam was mostly embarrassed because he truly did not think that he deserved them. His cousins and the JTF2 guys tried arguing with him about it and that just made him angrier.

His uncles had come into the room after about an hour and told him he better simmer down before his father got back. That his father was doing what was necessary to repair the damage to his reputation. That he better just suck it up and find a way to deal with it _before_ his father got home. They told him that his father had been hurt enough over this whole affair and did not need to come home to an ungrateful brat.

That had stopped Sam in his tracks. He got this wounded look on his face as he told his uncles he didn't want to hurt his dad. Sam had asked Mason to take him to his room. He spent several hours alone until his father returned.

When the General got home he went directly to Sam. The two of them stayed together in the room alone for over an hour. There was no shouting or yelling and everyone was surprised by that.

Jules had no idea what the two of them had talked about. But when they came out both were subdued the rest of the afternoon. Sam and the General played several quiet games of chess together in the library until Sam said he was tired.

Sam then spent the remainder of the afternoon and all evening in his room dozing on and off. Sam even took dinner in his room. Everyone was giving him the space he needed and he really did need the sleep too.

Jules asked "What ya thinking about?"

"How hard the job of a father is" Sam quietly said.

"Whoa, that's a bit left field Sam" Jules replied.

Sam kissed the top of her head "Yeah, I know. But it's gotta be tough. You know always wanting to protect your kid but having to let go and letting them make mistakes and fall. Never knowing if what you are doing is the really the right thing but desperately hoping it is. Feeling the hurt when they hurt and not being able to do a damned thing about it."

Jules now understood what happened in the room between father and son. They had truly talked about deep subjects. Sam was trying to see his life through his father's eyes.

She said "So you are not mad at his decision regarding the press conference then."

Sam laughed "No I'm still mad. I just can see it from his perspective now."

"Did you forgive him?"

"No."

"Why ever not?" Jules asked a bit shocked.

Sam chuckled again "Nothing to forgive. He did it out of love. But I still don't have to like his decision."

"Sam you confuse the hell out of me sometimes" Jules stated.

"Welcome to the club then. I don't get me sometimes either" Sam said honestly.

They were quiet a long time when Sam asked "You still awake?"

"Yeah."

Sam spoke softly "I'm going to tell Blaze, Winds and Jim about the abuse tomorrow. Then I'm going to see if Sally Jackson can meet. If she can keep me anonymous I think it would be good for me to testify against Dupont. I think then I can let it go and it won't keep burning a hole in my stomach and making me want to puke every time I think about it."

Jules readjusted so she could kiss him. After a long, slow, loving kiss she said "I'll stand by you no matter what you decide."

She snugged down next to him again and whispered "I love you Samuel Braddock."

"I love you too Julianna Callaghan" Sam whispered. In his head he wished he could whisper, I love you too Julianna Braddock.


	26. Plans, Desensitize Me & Ice Queen's Rock

**Plans, Desensitize Me & Ice Queen's Rock **

* * *

_**General Braddock's Home – Kitchen**_

Adam swallowed the last bit of his eggs then leaned back tipping the chair onto the back two legs "So Spike, Jules you two want to join us for a bike ride this morning? We got some great trails around here. Kyle and Jeff wanted to do the green trail this morning. It's an easy ride, quite scenic, nice trail to just cruise."

Spike was finishing his orange juice and answered "Sounds like fun. Going a bit stir crazy. It would be nice to get out in the fresh air."

Laura smiled at Jules and interjected "Jules and I have plans this morning. We are heading over to the mall for a bit then to pick up Jerrell and Anna. Then I'm heading home this afternoon to spend some quality time with the rug rats."

"Missing the little ones?" Scott said planting a kiss on Laura's cheek.

"Absolutely!" Laura answered.

"Me too" Scott confessed with a wistful look.

Yvonne said "You should bring Jerrell and Anna with you when come back for the celebration dinner tonight. Everyone but Jeff and Scott will be heading back to their duty stations tomorrow."

"That would be nice. I'm sure the little ones would like to see all their uncles and great uncles" Laura responded.

Jeff quipped "You mean be spoilt rotten by them."

Jules turned to Sam "What are you planning to do while we are gone?"

Sam was midway to his mouth with a bite of hashbrowns and put it down "I'll be hanging out with Blaze, Winds, Mason and Jim." Looking to Winds Sam asked "Anyone seen Blaze this morning?"

Winds answered "Left early yesterday afternoon. Said he had plans last night he could not change." Checking his watch he added "He should be here shortly though."

General Braddock strode into the kitchen with his brothers "Good you are all here. Wanted to go over the plans we sketched out last night with everyone and validate a few things."

He stopped to pour a fresh cup of coffee then took his seat and pulled out his notepad and pen. "Alright, so I think we've worked things out around everyone's work requirements. McFergus said he has informed everyone's CO's that unless there is a critical need that you will be allowed the leave based on the schedule we work out."

Looking at Jeff and Scott the General said "Since you are both stationed here I'm thinking you can be around as needed. Scott, due to you having a family we are not slotting you into any specific time. Whenever you can help that would be great but Samuel and I agree that Laura and the kids come first."

Scott looked to Sam "Are you sure. I'm willing to take a slot. I know Laura would support me in that."

"Absolutely would" Laura input.

Sam shook his head "Thanks but Anna and Jerrell need you more than I do. I know you will be around and if I need something I'll ask."

Scott responded "So long as you ask if you do need something then I'm okay not taking a specific slot." Sam nodded.

Turning to Jeff the General stated "Jeff I believe you are between recruit cycles right now. So we thought you would be first up. Your next group is due when?"

Jeff answered "In two and a half weeks Sir."

The General nodded "Good. Then the first two weeks will be yours if you are okay with that."

"Fine by me" Jeff stated with a smile.

Making note of that on his paper General Braddock said "Next we have Zachary." Looking at his nephew he smiled "I know your CO's commander personally and he can be a hardass but I think I can convince him to allow you whatever time you need off."

Everyone laughed seeing that the General was Zach's CO's commander now that he was in Special Forces.

The General then said "Seriously though, Zachary you still have a month downtime left. So unless something comes up that requires Mason's unit you should be free to help out. I'm slotting you for the two weeks following Jeff."

Sam looked at Zach knowing the rarity of having downtime in the Special Forces "If you have plans for your downtime don't go changing them on account of me."

Zach shook his head "Had no specific plans. I'll hang here if Aunt Yvonne doesn't mind the extra mouth."

Yvonne smiled warmly "Always welcome here Zach."

General Braddock then said "Kyle you will have the two weeks following Zachary. Your dad said you had some training course coming up. So we worked around that so you don't miss out."

Kyle answered "Works for me."

Looking to Adam the General said "Adam we slotted you for the two weeks after Kyle if need be. If that is okay with you."

Adam answered "I spoke to my CO last night. He told me since I have so much leave accrued I could take the next training cycle off. I need to return tomorrow to finish off this cycle. However after that I can be back here in a week and stay for six weeks."

Sam balked "I don't want you to spend all your vacation time here just helping me. There's gotta be someplace else you would like to take a break and have some fun."

Shaking his head thinking that Sam just didn't get how important he was to all of them. Christ if he didn't have to return tomorrow to finish off the group's training he would just stay here. Adam stared directly at Sam "Here seems like a nice place to spend my leave."

Then a devilish grin crossed Adam's face as he firmly stated his challenge "Gonna push you hard. Been wanting to hit the red trail again. This time you aren't gonna beat me to the top."

Sam answered "Wanna bet. Give me a few weeks and you'll be eating my dust all the way to the top."

The General downed the last of his coffee, smiled and said "Sounds like we have a plan."

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Pond**_

Blaze had arrived in a great mood this morning after Jules and Laura left and as Spike and the Braddock cousins were heading out for a bike ride. He was now pushing Blondie in a wheelchair slowly towards the pond. Jim, Winds and Mason followed.

It was just the five of them. After he arrived Blondie had told him and the other three that he needed to talk to them alone away from the house and the others. From the look on Mason's and Blondie's face he was not going to like what Blondie had to say.

Mason carried a small bag with several water bottles, small can and a damp wash cloth. Having been in the room with the Braddock family the other day Mason was pretty sure what Blondie intended to tell Blaze, Jim and Winds. He had a fairly good idea what Blondie needed from them too. So he had come prepared.

Blaze stopped the chair near the bench and turned Blondie so he was facing the bench. Blaze sat directly in front of him with Winds and Jim at his sides. Mason chose to stand next to Jim.

Sam looked at the four men that had shared so many darkside of life moments with him. Blaze was right, these men had seen each other at their lowest points and they all helped each other claw back up out of some deep and ugly emotional holes. His only chance in hell to deal with the abuse without puking would be with their help.

He took a deep breath "I need your help. What I'm asking from you I cannot ask from anyone else. I love Jules and she helped to a point but she can't do what I need. I care for the Boss, Ed, Wordy and Spike like family but I know they cannot handle what I need to do. My cousins were angered by the mere implication of it and not equipped to help."

Winds saw the look in Blondie's eyes it made him cast his down. There was so much pain radiating from them. Whatever it was Blondie had to tell them was going to test their resolve to remain calm.

Jim watched as Mason removed a can and water bottles from the pack. Mason handed him a damp wash rag and he met Mason's eyes. Ah shit this was not going to be good. Jim's eyes shifted back to Blondie.

Blaze's gut was raging right now. He did not like how Blondie was talking or looking. But he remained stoic. Whatever it was that Blondie needed they would provide. Blaze said "Whatever you need Blondie we are here."

Sam felt the bile rising and took several shallow breaths "We all had the same training in how to cope with the aftereffects of torture. I need your help to desensitize me to an event in my life. I need to be able to tell exactly what happened to me in full detail without puking. Just the thought of it makes me want to hurl."

Winds said "Is this related to whatever made you nearly throw up at the hearing?"

He nodded yes then said "I need to be able to go into a court and sit in a witness stand without embarrassing myself by puking. I need to be able to tell what that bastard Dupont did to me when I was eleven."

Siliva was gathering in Sam's mouth and his stomach started clenching. He couldn't stop it and started to vomit. Mason had the can ready in an instant.

When Sam was done retching, all four of his buddies were crouched around him. Blaze and Jim had their hands on his back. Winds and Mason had their hands on his knees. Mason handed Blondie the water bottle and he rinsed and spit. Jim used the rag to wipe the beads of sweat from Sam's face.

Blaze did not feel calm by any stretch of the imagination but he forced his voice to be calm as he said "Take it slow. We have all the time you need. What did Dupont do to you?"

Sam closed his eyes and screwed up his face in pain as all the memories assaulted him. His breathing became fast as anger, tears and the need to vomit hit him all at once "He sexually abused me. I was the first boy …" Sam puked again.

Intense fury flared in all four men's eyes but they each pulled on their training to stay close, calm and quiet ready to listen to Blondie. He needed them to listen to him now not to react. There would be time later away from Blondie for them to feel their emotions.

Sam began the sordid tale telling bits then heaving, telling more and then dry heaving because his stomach was empty. By the time he finished telling them all the details of exactly what Dupont did to him Sam was shivering and his stomach muscles ached badly. Jim wiped the tears from Sam's face and the sweat from his brow. Mason offered him water again.

Winds' jaw hurt from clenching it so tightly. Blaze rubbed Sam's back and said "Again from the beginning." The second time through was just as bad as the first.

When Sam finished the second telling Blaze sat on the grass and said "Mason move Blondie down here."

Mason gently picked him up out of the wheelchair and sat Blondie on the grass between Blaze's legs and Blaze pulled Blondie's back against his chest. Winds, Jim, and Mason sat close with a hand on Blondie to maintain contact and provide comfort. Blaze said "Lean on me kiddo."

Winds held Blondie's hand and softly said "Ready to go again?"

Sam leaned back into Blaze and his grip tightened on Winds' hand as he began the telling it for a third time. When he finished each time his brothers-in-arms repeated their ministrations. Over the course of the next several hours they had him tell the story over and over. Everyone lost count of how many times he told it.

What Blaze, Winds, Jim and Mason focused on was Blondie's physical reactions when telling the story. After a while they had him focus on specific areas and words that made him shudder, heave or caused tears to flow. It was a heartbreaking process for them hearing it over and over. But Blondie asked for their help to desensitize him so they would.

Jim had been monitoring Sam's physical state and could see he was done for today. He said "Sam that's enough for today."

Blaze held him close "Blondie you did good. Like Jim says that's enough for today. We can do it again tomorrow and for as many days as it takes."

Winds ruffled Blondie's hair "So are you sure you want to testify?"

Sam said with a raw voice from retching and speaking so much "Don't want to. Need to. Detective Jackson said that the case was falling apart because none of the boys recognized his face or the cologne. It seems like everything hinges on my testimony at this time."

Blaze asked "Are you sure you want to expose yourself to the media spotlight again."

"Detective Jackson assured me that I could testify anonymously because of the nature of the charge and that I was a minor when it happened. She plans to make a trip back here next week. I need to be able to tell her without puking by then" Sam answered.

Changing the subject Mason asked "Lunch is probably ready. Ready to head back?" Sam nodded yes and Mason picked him up and put him in the wheelchair.

While Jim was gathering the empty water bottles Blaze said "Lizzy will be here after lunch. She's gonna work you extra hard because you kept rescheduling."

"Hey, not my fault" Sam said feeling a bit better. With their help he would be able to desensitize himself. He would be able to testify and not embarrass himself by hurling in court. He would be able to put Dupont in jail for years. Sam thought how lucky he was to have such good friends and brothers. It made him smile.

Winds laughed "So the Ice Queen cometh." They all saw a huge grin settle onto Blaze's face and thought he has it bad for Lizzy. All wondered if he would ever take the plunge and ever move his relationship with Lizzy beyond dating. One of the four thought never in a million years. Blaze was a confirmed bachelor just like himself.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Patio**_

The whole group was congregated on the patio after lunch when the doorbell rang. Blaze jumped up and said "I'll get it. It's mostly likely Lizzy."

Sam groaned and looked to Spike "Ready to need some ice buddy."

Spike laughed "She can't that bad. You're just saying that to make me worry."

Blaze threw over his shoulder as he headed inside "Never felt so much pain in all my life. I spent so many evenings in ice baths after she was done with me." Privately he thought to himself I needed those ice baths for two reasons and muscle pain was not the most significant one. His huge grin returned as he recalled last night.

Winds called out "But she got your ass back in the field in no time." Then to the group in a lower voice "Never saw him work harder for anyone else. She knew how to motivate him."

Sam laughed "He's been dating her for a long time."

Jim mused aloud "Wonder if he is ever gonna take the plunge. Would be nice to see him happy."

Winds chuckled "No never gonna happen. He's a confirmed bachelor just like me. We are married to the Army."

Sam sat back and thought I'm not so sure about that. His mind recalled his conversation with Blaze in Wordy's back yard when he returned to the team after his stint in the Army. No not sure about that at all.

Blaze came back to the patio with Lizzy. She knew most of them but Blaze introduced her to the assembled group "Everyone this is Elizabeth Wilder or Lizzy. She is Sam's physical therapist" then his eyes blazed with the heat of someone in love as he continued "and my fiancée."

Lizzy smiled and lifted her left hand displaying a stunning rock on her ring finger. She sweetly said "He asked me last night. I said yes." She privately thought I'm a sucker for a man in uniform. Well at least this man in uniform. Lizzy turned to gaze at Blaze still stunned he had finally asked her. He was worth waiting for.

Winds jaw dropped open. No.

Jim's face split into a grin. Yes.

Mason smiled and chuckled. He was gonna tease Winds for a long time on his confirmed bachelor statement .

Sam gave Blaze and Lizzy a WOW smile then said "Congratulations."

There were plenty of congratulations from everyone there.

Examining the beautiful ring Jules asked "So Lizzy, how did Blaze ask you?"

Lizzy smiled then said "After a wonderful dinner at my favorite Greek restaurant a bemused waiter brought a crystal bowl full of ice to the table. He handed Blaze a shot of ouzo. Blaze poured the ouzo over the top of the ice then set it on fire. I stared at the bowl of ice and fire until the fire went out. Then I saw a glint of something in the bowl."

She turned to Blaze and grabbed his hand "As I reached in and pulled out the ring Blaze went down on one knee. He said 'Fire and Ice. Two opposites that give the other what they need. Your ice soothes the fire in my soul. I love you and I cannot live without you. Elizabeth Wilder will you marry me and forever be my Ice Queen?'"

Winds was totally shocked. He looked at Blaze "Man you never said a thing to me."

Blaze laughed "I wasn't asking you to marry me."

"But come on man. Well tell each other everything" Winds said.

Spike laughed "Well apparently he doesn't tell you quite everything."

Winds change tracks "Oh man, if Blaze can fall none of the rest of us are immune. Bets. Who's next? Me, Mason or Blondie?"

Mason laughed "My money's on Blondie since neither you nor I even have a steady date."

Sam and Jules both turned a little pink at that. Lizzy stood up and said "Enough of that. Time to get busy. Spike let's get you checked out. Then Jules. Then Sam."

Lizzy took them each one at a time to a room in the house and did her evaluations. Then she drew up treatment plans. She reassured Spike that with the right treatment his grip would return solid and good.

Jules was surprised to be included. She only had a broken arm and that was no big deal she thought. But Lizzy explained that she knew how much getting back to the team meant to all of them. If Jules followed her plan she would regain proper use and full strength in her arm much quicker.

After examining Sam, Lizzy went to speak with the General.

Mason helped redress Sam in shorts since Lizzy wanted to start TENS and EMS treatments today on his legs and shoulder. Lizzy explained to Sam that the Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) unit would help stimulate his body to produce higher levels of its own natural painkillers so he could reduce his dependence on the pills.

She also explained why she was using the Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) device. It would help to increase blood flow to his muscles, increase his range of motion, increase his muscle strength, and enhance his muscle endurance all without him standing or putting weight on this legs.

Sam rejoined the others on the patio and his oh so wonderfully adult cousins were so very polite as to whistle and make jokes to him about how sexy his legs were. Sam laughed and said "Don't you jerks have something better to do?"

Jeff responded "Nah, this is too good to miss." Sam threw his empty soda can at him and Jeff ducked just in time. Jeff laughed again and joked "Better watch it Braddock. You're joining my next recruit cycle on the obstacle course. Be nice to me or I'll make you pay out there."

Sam just laughed. It would be fun to join a recruit team again. Maybe it would be good to have Jules and Spike join them too. He could introduce Spike to his nemeses the climbing rope. That would surely be a good thing to strengthen Spike's grip.

His mind took a decidedly naughty turn when Sam thought about crawling through the mud bog with Jules. It would be so fun to clean up in the shower together. Crap he better change the course of his thinking because he was sitting here in shorts and there was no way he could manage getting into a cold shower on his own.

Sam was saved from his own thoughts as Lizzy walked out with the TENS and EMS devices. She attached the TENS unit to Sam thigh first and explained she would rotate it to the shoulder then the other thigh. Lizzy then attached the EMS device to Spike's arm. Spike was in geek heaven as he asked her all about the devices.

A little while later the General came out and announced "After speaking with Elizabeth regarding your treatment plans, I've made arrangements for the three of you to use the PT facilities on base. We do not have the appropriate equipment here and it makes more sense for you to go there. You three will be over there every afternoon."

Turning to Mason he then said "I appreciate all your help with Samuel. I don't want to impose on you any longer. You still have downtime and Cliff can take over if you have other plans."

Mason smiled "It's not an imposition Sir. Blondie is my little brother and my plans are helping him until I'm back on duty or he can walk himself."

Winds piped up "Anyone want to bet on how long it takes Blondie to be walking?"

Everyone wanted in on it even Sam. The bets ranged from three days, Kyle always was a bit too optimistic when it came to Sam, to three weeks. Sam looked at Kyle and wished the kid could win the bet. He bet on seven days. Jules bet on eight. Spike chose nine.

The General bet on six days. He was serious when he told Bella and James that he would never underestimate Samuel's abilities again.


	27. He Walks & Highland Warrior-Fairy Sprite

**He Walks & Highland Warrior and Fairy Sprite **

* * *

_**Six Day Later – Special Forces Base – PT Department**_

General Braddock had left his office this afternoon and headed to the physical therapy room. He was amazed by his son in so many ways. The manner in which he threw himself into his recovery always astounded him. Samuel was bound and determined to be walking by the seven day goal he set for himself. However the competitive man in him was secretly hoping that it would be today because then he would win the bet.

The General had quietly entered the room and hung in the background just watching. He could see that Lizzy had him hooked to the EMS device like she did at the beginning of every therapy session. Samuel was currently laughing and joking with Jules and Spike who were also hooked up to EMS devices. Those three had such an ease about them it was nice to see comradery.

Mason saw the General standing in the back of the PT department and whispered to Blondie "Hey Blondie, don't look back but someone is watching. I'm thinking he's hoping to win the bet. Think you can take a few steps today?"

Sam laughed "I'll sure give it one hell of try."

Lizzy walked over to the group "How's my favorite trio today?"

"Doing good" Jules answered.

Sam said quietly "Lizzy I want to try the parallel bars today."

Lizzy looked at Sam and said "You are pushing harder than you should be. If you fall and try to catch yourself with the left arm you could set your shoulder progress back." Then seeing the determined look on his face Lizzy said "Okay, but you better not ruin all my hard work or I'll make you pay."

Mason laughed and chimed in "I've got his six. I could be right behind him using one to those belt things; I forget what you call them. I can keep him from falling and ruining all your hard work Lizzy."

"They are called gait belts. That would be acceptable" Lizzy agreed catching sight of the General in her periphery vision.

Sam grinned and chuckled. All her hard work. Who was the one soaking in ice baths every day after therapy? It sure wasn't Lizzy. But then again he was progressing along his aggressive timeline. He doubted he'd be this far with a more conventional physical therapist.

She worked him hard and he loved/hated every minute of it. Loved the fact he was getting close to some independence. He couldn't wait to get himself to the bathroom under his own power. That was so embarrassing still. He hated every second of pain and there was a lot of pain. The TENS units helped though. It was the first time any therapist used it in his therapy. Oh and the ice, tons and tons of ice helped.

Sam saw that Lizzy was now detaching Spike from the EMS device. Lizzy told Spike "Debbie is waiting for you. When you're done today we'll measure your grip strength and hold again. I think you will be rather surprised in the progress."

Spike responded "Cool I can't wait" then he bopped over to a cute young physical therapy assistant. He liked working with her because she always laughed at his jokes. Unlike Gerry who was mostly a sourpuss. Spike thought that Gerry needed to find another line of work, like maybe in the morgue.

Sitting down at Debbie's station Spike said "I'm all yours." Debbie grinned. "Hey Debbie do you know why people should be careful when following the masses?"

Debbie shook her head no "No Spike. Why?"

Spike grinned "Because sometimes the 'm' is silent."

She laughed. Spike had a quirky sense of humor. He made her day everyday she got to work with him.

Taking the leads off Jules Lizzy said "The ortho doc wants to x-ray your arm at the end of next week. If it is healing well enough he's planning of putting you in a removable splint. That way you can assist Sam in the therapy pool."

Sam's face took on a faraway look which concerned Jules a bit "Sam you okay?" He didn't respond so she tried again "Earth to Sam. You okay?"

Startled out of his thought Sam looked at Jules "Um what."

"Where were you? What were you thinking about" she asked.

Sam's face morphed into an impish busted look as he said in a slightly husky voice "I was picturing what a certain sexy sniper chick would look like in a bathing suit."

He ducked as the towel flew at him from Jules's direction "Men!" Jules huffed looking at Lizzy "Only _one_ thing ever on their minds."

Sam tried to save himself from a punch "Hey can't blame a guy when you are so beautiful. And talk about motivation for water therapy."

Lizzy was chuckling as she started to remove the EMS device from Sam "Man you must like pain to tempt fate like that."

Sam laughed seeing the fire spark in Jules's eyes "Worth it. Definitely worth it." He saw a bit of blush creep onto Jules's cheeks at his words. It enhanced her beauty even more he thought.

God he loved that woman. Sam wished he could put a rock on her left hand too. He would need to be patient and wait until Jules was ready for that. He could wait but this time he was not letting her go. His future was with only her. For the first time ever he began to think what it would be like to be a dad himself. Would he be a good one?

He was pulled out of his thoughts as Lizzy said "Okay lay back. Now that the muscles are warmed up it's time to get started on the stretching exercises."

Sam lay back on the large padded platform not looking forward to this part of the therapy. Lizzy started in on the right leg first which wasn't as bad. When Lizzy moved to the left leg Jules had made her way onto the large platform.

Jules sat next to him and slipped her hand in his. Sam squeezed when the pain increased as Lizzy manipulated the leg muscles. Sam had never had someone comfort him during PT before. It was nice. Sam found he could endure more pain with just Jules's simple touch.

Forty-five minutes later Sam was seated on a stool between the parallel bars. Lizzy had attached a gait belt around his waist and instructed Mason in the proper use. Jules stood at the other end of the parallel bars and Lizzy was right next to him.

Lizzy instructed "Sam you can use your right arm on the bar but I want to strap your left one so you don't accidentally try to grab with it." Sam nodded and she put a sling on his left arm and strapped it to his chest.

When she was done Lizzy said "Don't push to far. Use your right arm to pull up as you push with your legs. Mason is gonna do most the work though to lift you then hold you stable for a moment while I pull the stool out of the way. On my count, three, two, one, stand."

The three of them executed her plan as orchestrated. While he was stabilizing holding only a percentage of his body weight Spike joined Jules at the end of the bars.

Lizzy then said "Your right leg is more stable so I want you to move that one forward first. Mason will hold your weight as you step."

Sam looked up and smiled at Jules and Spike. Then Sam called over his shoulder loudly "Sir. I think you are about to win."

General Braddock was surprised Samuel knew he was here. But chuckled to himself while maintaining a stoic face when he realized he shouldn't be surprised that Samuel knew he was in the room. He strode over. The General was mindful of the soldiers in the room and his need to maintain the General façade so he said "Show me what you have in you soldier."

Locking eyes with the General, Sam read the pride his father had for him. Sam steeled himself and lifted his right foot. His left leg wobbled a bit with the weight but Mason held fast as Sam took his first step. There was a small relief as he picked up is left foot and the right leg was stronger and more stable. Mason allowed him to take more of his own weight on the right leg.

Sweat was beading on his forehead and running down his back between his shoulder blades as he made his way forward. He refused to hold onto the bar and only allowed his right hand to hover above it. His goal was in front of him. He was going to make it all the way to Jules.

One slow painful step after another he came closer to his goal. Both Jules and Spike were encouraging him. One last step is all that was needed to reach his goal.

As he set his right foot down his right hand snaked out and around the back of Jules's neck. She was utterly surprised as Sam quickly pulled her to him and planted his lips on hers. He kissed her solidly to whoops and hollers from those who had stopped their PT to watch him.

Sam released her and gave her a WOW smile then said "You are my motivation. After I rest a bit. If you go to the other side I'll be ready for round two."

Jules smiled "Anything for you soldier."

Spike had grabbed the stool and set it place for Sam. Mason lowered Sam too it as Sam looked at his dad "You win Sir."

The General looked between Samuel and Jules then cracked a rare smile while in the company of soldiers. He placed a hand on Samuel's shoulder and said "No son, I believe you won."

* * *

 _ **Special Forces Base – Hallway Heading to General Braddock's Office**_

While Blondie was soaking in the much needed ice bath Mason took the opportunity to finish a few reports that were due to the General. He also had some personnel paperwork to file. Lotus had decided to leave the Army and thus his unit when he was due for reup in three months. Mason had to find a recruit to replace him.

He was sad to see Lotus go but Lotus was married now and had a kid on the way. He understood his need to want a more secure job when raising a family. Their job was tough always being gone or leaving at a moment's notice if need. It wasn't real conducive to long-term relationships. Especially with the high danger level of their job. Not the type of security most women would be looking for or a life they would put up with.

Mason had been watching Blondie and Jules over the last week and some days. The kid was head over heels for Jules. He was happy for them. It was still complicated for them but he knew in his heart they would work it out eventually.

He was so lost in his thoughts he didn't register the fairy sprite sized Corporal that he collided with until it was too late. He sent her sprawling to the ground. Mason immediately knelt next to her concern written all over his face and heard in every word "I'm so sorry. I didn't see you. Are you okay?"

Mason looked down at the petite woman with strawberry blonde curls. She had a smattering of freckles across an ivory cream complexion. Her violet-blue eyes widened as she looked at him. Between his size and the scars to this face he frightened most women and quite a few men. It happened so often he had built up a wall to hide behind.

Corporal Marsaili Mac'IlleMhìcheil was stunned by the man looking down at her. It was him! The mountain sized man with a tender touch and the smile that lit up his eyes. The last time she had seen him in Kandahar.

His size and scars had frightened her at first back then. But the tender way he cared for his buddy and his reaction to her cleaning and repairing that little stuffed duck had instantly changed her mind about the man. All Marsaili could do at the moment was stare at him.

As he offered a hand to help her up Mason looked to her name patch and said "I'm very sorry Corporal Mac'IlleMhìcheil." As he said her name he realized she seemed vaguely familiar. It was her eyes mostly. He'd seen eyes that color once before. But where?

Marsaili was stunned again that the man had pronounced her name correctly. No one ever did. They usually butchered it or simply gave up and shortened it to Corporal Mac after they met formally.

She finally found her voice as she took his hand and stood up "My fault Sir. I should have been paying closer attention. It's not like anyone could miss you coming down the hall." Her hand flew to her mouth mortified she let that last sentence out.

Mason chuckled "True." She blushed a pretty pink Mason thought as he then said "No worries. Let's just say we were both distracted by our thoughts."

Marsaili then noted he was in civilian clothes and he was near the General's office. She had been a clerk on the General's staff for the past four months. She had finally gotten up the nerve to request a job transfer from orderly to clerk a year ago and completed the necessary training a few months ago.

She had been flabbergasted that she was assigned to the General's office right out of training. It was a posh assignment to be sure. Several of her classmates wanted to know what strings she pulled to get it. They didn't believe her that she had no hand in it and was just as surprised as they were she landed the position.

Marsaili had met the General when she first started and a few times since and he was kind to her. Marsaili knew he had a reputation for being hard but she had seen him sitting with that poor beaten soldier holding his hand. He may be hard as nails but the General sure seemed to care for his troops. For him to sit with one who had been so badly injured spoke volumes to her about the inside of the man.

Her Sergeant had warned her that there were always threats against the General and to be aware at all times. So she went on alert with a civilian so close and no ID showing. Even though she had met him before and he was in uniform then, he was not now and with no ID showing that set off alarms. It was not protocol.

So Marsaili stated as firmly as she could "Sir may I see your ID and what is your destination?"

Mason nearly laughed at the steel edge that entered her voice as she drew herself up to probably all of five foot four inches. He pulled his ID from his pocket where he had stuffed it to be out of the way when he was helping Blondie. "Sorry I should have remembered to put this back on."

He handed her his ID. She read Master Warrant Officer Murchadh-Ailpein Srònaich'O'Naoimhín. A smile spread on her face. No wonder he could pronounce her name. She said "Yes Sir. You should not be walking around without it displayed Master Warrant Officer Murchadh-Ailpein Srònaich'O'Naoimhín."

It was Mason's turn to be stunned; every syllable correctly spoken. He grinned and it lit his eyes "My friends call me Mason." Showing her the files he answered her second request "I'm on my way to General Braddock's office with files he requested."

Where her bravado came from she wasn't sure but she said "My friends call me Marsaili. I'm on my way to the General's office too." They both started in that direction again.

Mason thought maybe she look familiar because he's seen her in the General's office. But it didn't really gel for him; it wasn't quite right. As they walked Mason queried "Have you worked for the General long?"

Marsaili shook her head "No only about four months."

That wasn't it then Mason thought. He and his unit had been out of country for six months before returning recently. He ventured "This may sound odd but you look familiar."

She smiled again "We've met before."

Mason was aghast that he didn't remember a woman as attractive as Marsaili. He stammered a bit as he asked "Where? When?"

Marsaili thought the stammer was endearing. "You were too wiped out to probably remember much of anything let alone me. But I remember you and your two buddies. You hugged me when I gave you a repaired little stuffed Donald Duck in the hospital in Kandahar a few years ago."

Mason stopped dead. Marsaili stopped too. He looked at her closely as realization hit him "You are the orderly that brought Blondie's duck back."

"Yeah. How is your buddy? I hope he made it. He looked really bad" Marsaili responded.

He could not hold back the laugh "He's here now. Doing rehab again. That duck meant so much to him. If you have time after I'm done with the General I'm sure he would love to meet you and thank you personally."

Marsaili watched as the laugh lit up the man's face. God he was handsome like some Scottish highland warrior. She thought he would be perfect in a kilt wielding a claymore. His most endearing quality though was that goofy grin and the way it lit up his golden eyes.

She wanted an excuse to spend more time with him so she said "I'd like to meet him if I'm not busy. Stop by my desk when you are done."

As they continued on to the General's office Mason was replaying his interactions with the young lady. He was attracted to her and wanted to ask her out. Would their age difference matter to her? He was not a man to dither about so he asked "Would you like to have dinner with me on Friday?"

Marsaili's heart just skipped a beat. No make that five beats. The highland warrior just asked her out. Oh god. She felt all jelloie inside, if that was even a word, and was surprised her stride did not falter. She inhaled trying to calm herself and was amazed how steady her voice was when she answered "I'd like that."

Mason was stunned that the fairy sprite had said yes. "I'll get your number when I'm done with the General so I can call you later to get your address and arrange a time to pick you up Friday."


	28. Letters to Ferocious & He Felt So Loved

**Letters to Ferocious & He Felt So Loved**

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Sam's Room**_

Jules sat cross on the bed staring at the four sealed letters on the bed in front of her. Sam was sound asleep next to her. It was only eight pm but he was completely wiped out today. He had been pushing himself hard every day for the past six days. She was so proud of him this afternoon.

He made that trip from one end of the parallel bars to the other five times. The last time his legs were shaking so badly that Mason had to hold nearly all his weight. Each time he made it to the end he was rewarded with a kiss. It felt good to be so open about their relationship here.

Every morning for the last seven days Sam went off with Blaze, Winds and Mason. Before Jim returned home three days ago he had gone with them too. Sam didn't tell her what they were doing but the first four days when they returned Sam needed a nap. He was drawn out and looked to her like he had been throwing up and crying.

But three days ago when they returned Sam looked a bit better and each day after that Sam looked even better. It was like he had built confidence around something. She would not ask him what it was. Sam would share if he felt it necessary.

This morning had been emotionally draining on him too. Sally Jackson had come to visit. She, the General, Mason, Blaze and Winds sat with Sam as he gave her a very detailed description of the sexual abuse he had suffered from Dupont. The General sat with white knuckles gripping the chair arms and looked both red with rage and green like he was going to vomit as Sam explained how Dupont had violated him.

She was really in no better shape at the telling. Blaze and Winds had held her hands because Sam did not want to be touched as he gave the account. Jules wasn't sure if she could have made it through without vomiting telling things like that. In was so graphic yet coldly clinically too. Almost as if Sam was reporting it happening to another person. No that wasn't quite right either. It was more like a callous had developed to keep it from hurting. Much like callouses they developed on their gun hands. Repeated firings no longer rubbed their skin raw.

Sam gave Sally the new piece of information about the wolf tattoo also. He provided a detailed description to her. Sally hoped that the tattoo might be a trigged for the other boys. She would carefully ask them the question so as not to put thoughts in the boys' heads.

Sally said she would get back to him when she was ready to file the charges against Dupont. The Detective also assured him that his name and any identifying information would be omitted from all transcripts. It would be a closed hearing and trial since all the charges were committed against minors under the age of thirteen.

Jules looked over Sam. He looked really peaceful sleeping right now. Like a weight had been lifted. He had been so tired he almost nodded off at dinner. Yvonne sent him off to bed right after dinner and he did not complain. He was soundly asleep by seven-twenty.

Her eyes shifted back to the letters.

Should she read them? Jules picked up the one from Brayden. Each had written their name on the outside. However, she would recognize Brayden's handwriting any day. Brayden was the one who normally signed all her homework papers after mom died. Her father was too deep in grief and left everything to Brayden for nearly six months.

After six months her father started to reengage with the family but nothing was quite the same. Brayden and her brothers took over much of the role that should have been taken over by her father. Could she open these letters? Would it be a Pandora's box? Or could it be like Sam and his family, a first step to reconciliation?

Jules scooted to the top of the bed and pulled her knees close. She turned the envelope over and over trying to build up enough courage to open it. Or was it to build up a wall to keep out the pain of being shunned by the five men she thought would always be there for her just because she wanted to be a cop.

She glanced at Sam. He faced things head on. He had been amazing today both this morning and this afternoon. If Sam could face things she could too. Besides, he and the rest of the team would always be there for her if it went to hell in a hand basket. The only difference if she opened the letter was that there might be an opportunity to reconcile with her brothers.

Jules slowly and carefully opened the envelope. Then she inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly before withdrawing the letter. She took another deep breathe in and out as she unfolded it. Finally one last long draw of air in she held it a moment then released it as she allowed her eyes to focus on the words.

 _Dear Jules,_

 _I struggled with starting this letter. Should I write Dearest Julianna, being all formal? Or go with simple everyday Dear Jules. Or go with your childhood nickname Hey Ferocious. I thought maybe going middle of the road would be best for now._

 _I know words can never make up for my actions. Hell, any future actions I take to try and make up for all I've done to you can never truly make up for all the pain I've caused my little sister. I only hope that you might consider giving me a chance to do that._

 _It's been so long since we've exchanged any words I thought I'd tell you a little about me. I got married to Sheena about a year after you left for the academy. You were right, she was wrong for me. We divorced a year after that. Father was none too happy about that. He said I didn't try hard enough to make her happy. But like you told me, nothing would ever make her happy._

 _Two years later I met Bayleigh and we've been married for seven years now. We have two kids Cyndi who is six and Zed who is four. So you are an Aunt (more than me have kids but I'll let the others tell you about themselves)._

 _I'm still working the farm with Father but I'm taking over more and more these days. Age is catching up with him._

 _Aidan told all of us how you looked after were injured in that call saving your teammates. I'm so sorry we were not all there. We only knew about it because I answered the phone while Father was in the bathroom. None of us four even knew you had been shot before. Father never told us._

 _I wish I could have been there for you as you recovered. I bet I would have seen you tenaciously going after your goals like you always did as a little girl. You always amazed me how you set your sights on a goal and never let anything stop you._

 _For what it's worth, I'm very proud of all you accomplished. It's an awesome accomplishment being the first woman on the coveted SRU team and not only any team but Team One and a sniper to boot. I'm hoping I had a little hand in that by talking Father into letting you come hunting and shooting with us boys. But I know it is really all your accomplishment._

 _You did it without our support. We should have been there cheering you on and helping you if you needed it. But we, all four of us so called men, were too cowardly to stand up and defy our Father's edicts. For that I'm deeply ashamed._

 _I miss you Ferocious. I wish I could turn back the hands of time and change my decisions and actions. I wish that I was strong enough back then to defy Father. The rarest jewel of my heart is missing without you in my life._

 _The four of us decided that we needed to leave it to you to make the next contact. If you are willing to give me, to give us four, another chance to be the brothers we should have always been please call me._

 _Your Loving Brother, Who Really Screwed Up and Wants to Make Amends,_

 _Brayden._

Jules was in tears and at first did not see the small photo slip into her lap. She swiped her eyes. No one had called her ferocious in so many years. Brayden had given her that nickname when she was seven and broke a brush over Keagan's head because he wouldn't stop teasing her.

She had been shocked it busted. All her brothers had burst out laughing and Brayden had put his hands on his hips and tried to say sternly "Now Ferocious calm down." But he couldn't manage the sternness and he laughed even harder as he said it. The nickname stuck with them. But thank goodness only them.

Jules then saw the photo and picked it up. On the back was a phone number. She turned it over and it was a picture of Brayden, his wife and two kids. He looked so much older now. There were a few streaks of gray in his brown hair. But his smile and his eyes were the same. Brayden always had piercing eyes.

Although they were brown and Ed's were blue Ed's eyes always reminded her of Brayden. Brayden was normally all hard on the outside like Ed but underneath had softness he was afraid to show the world. If she was drawing parallels she thought it was much like the Braddock men too.

Jules folded the letter then put it and the photo back into the envelope. Jules wondered if she should open the other three. Her hand went out of its own volition and picked up Aidan's letter. He was closest in age to her. Her baby big brother she used to call him.

Before she knew it she had read all four letters. All of them said much the same thing. They were sorry they had shunned her and wanted a chance to prove that they cared. They wanted to repair their relationships with her.

Each of them had told her a bit about themselves. Keagan now owned a construction company. He was married to Rachel and had two boys and a girl.

Finley finished veterinary school like he wanted and had his own practice as a large animal vet. He mostly worked with cows and horses. He was married to Wendy and she was four months pregnant with their first child.

Aidan was a computer salesman and traveled often. He was dating a woman but it wasn't serious. He didn't have have any kids.

Those little pieces of life swirled in her head. She was more confused than ever. Could she trust them again? All the years they lost felt like a lead weight in her heart. The tears began to fall. She put the letters on the nightstand.

Jules hurt. It hurt so bad that they had abandoned her. Normally she pushed those feelings way down. But the letters ripped open the old wound. She laid down and moved close to Sam needing his warmth, his love, his strength.

She did not want to wake him so she cried quietly into his shoulder wishing his arms were wrapped around her.

Sam sensed Jules next to him. He woke enough to feel her head on his shoulder. He first felt the wetness on his shoulder. Then he heard a soft sob and sniffle. Jules was crying.

"Jules" he said softly.

In a sad, weepy voice Jules requested "Hold me."

Sam was glad the sling was gone. He pulled her to him and wrapped both arms around her and held her securely. He kissed the top of her head. Then with his right hand Sam reached up to stroke her hair.

Jules cried for a long time secure in Sam's strong arms. She slipped to sleep as he held her tightly to him.

Sam knew by Jules's breathing and the relaxation of her muscles she had finally drifted off to sleep. He wondered what had made her cry. His eyes that had been focused on the ceiling above glanced at the nightstand. She read the letters.

What did her brothers say to make her cry? Tomorrow he would ask her. If they had said hurtful things to her and made her cry because of it he knew four men that would learn painfully not to hurt his Jules ever again. No one hurt his Jules and got away with it!

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – Spike's Room**_

Spike made it an early night tonight. Sam had gone to bed right after dinner and Jules had followed shortly afterwards. He was tired tonight and he was going to have an early morning tomorrow.

Lizzy had measured his grip strength and hold. She was right; he was surprised how much progress he had made in only six days. Well maybe more than that he conceded to himself. All that dough kneading had really helped too.

She told him it would be okay to start training with his firearms again. He mentioned that to Zach and Jeff at dinner. Jeff said he would make arrangements for the three of them to use the gun range tomorrow morning. Winds had said he would like to join them too.

Afterwards Winds was going to take him to Angus's place. It would be good to see him again. They talked every now and then but hadn't seen each other in nearly a year. Winds said that Angus had some new tech to show them.

So tomorrow was going to be a busy day. A run with Jeff, then the gun range, then Angus's place followed up by an afternoon of therapy. He never realized he could be so busy not working. Oh and now he needed to start ordering the parts for the security system. At the end of next week he wanted to start the installation. Zach was going to fly him, Jules, Adam, Scott, Jeff and Angus to Toronto. They would meet up with Greg, Ed and Wordy and start the installation. With so many hands it should go quickly.

Sam wanted to go help out but Lizzy didn't want him missing any therapy so he would not be going. Jules had soothed his upset by kissing him and telling him he was already doing enough by financing it. Spike laughed. Those two. They sure had each other's number. Too bad they could not be so open with Greg and Ed. Sam and Jules were so right for each other.

Spike laid back and grabbed the blue dog. He also picked up his phone. Ma would still be up. He hadn't called her in a few days. He decided to call and pressed speed dial for her number.

 _["Ciao"  
(Hello) his father said.]_

"Ciao Pa. Ho chiamato per vedere come voi due state facendo."  
(Hi Pa. I was calling to see how you two are doing) Spike said wondering if his dad would simply hand off the phone to his ma or if he would actually talk to him this time.

 _["Michelangelo noi vanno bene. Sei madre vuole parlare con te."  
(Michelangelo we are fine. You're mother wants to talk to you) his dad responded.]_

Well at least he answered something before handing it off to his ma Spike thought.

 _["Mikey sono così felice che hai chiamato il mio ragazzo. Come stai? Stai comportando bene per la signora Braddock? Come sta is ta facendo armi? Mi manchi così tanto. Quando tornerai a casa?"  
(Mikey I'm so glad you called my boy. How are you doing? Are you behaving nicely for Mrs. Braddock? How's your arm doing? I miss you so much. When are you coming home?) Mrs. Scarlatti rapidly fired off in Italian.]_

Spike couldn't help but to smile. His Ma was the best. He felt so loved talking with her. Their only source of contention was when she sided with Pa about his job. But usually they were able to avoid those conversations.

"Sì Ma mi comporto. Sto facendo molto bene. La signora Braddock piace molto l'ultimo lotto di pane che ho fatto. Ha detto Grazie per aver condiviso la ricetta. Sarò a casa la prossima settimana per un paio d'ore. Sto installazione di un sistema di sicurezza per Jules. Non sarò in grado di swing, ma se si vuole venire in casa di Jules mi piacerebbe vederti Ma."  
(Yes Ma I'm behaving. I'm doing really well. Mrs. Braddock really like the last batch of bread I made. She said thank you for sharing the recipe. I'll be home next week for a few hours. I'm installing a security system for Jules. I won't be able to swing by but if you want to come by Jules's home I would love to see you Ma) Spike answered.

He spent the next thirty minutes talking with his mother. In that time he had relaxed quite a bit. When he hung up the phone it was only nine thirty five but he was ready for sleep. He switched off the lamp and pulled the covers over him. He cuddled the blue dog. As sleep overtook him he thought he should start trying to wean himself off of holding the dog, but not tonight. Tonight he needed to sleep to have the energy for tomorrow.


	29. My Home, Green Trail & Such a Nice Girl

**My Home, Green Trail & Such a Nice Girl**

* * *

 _ **One Week Later – Outside Jules's Home**_

Greg, Ed, Wordy and Spike stood next to Jules just outside her home. Angus, Jeff and Zach had stayed near the car giving them a moment together. It had been a while since they had seen each other.

After hugs and greetings Greg gave her the keys to the new lock for the new door. Jules turned to head on in and found she could not move forward. She stood just staring at the front door.

It was the first time she had been here since the attack. She wasn't sure how she felt going inside. This place had been hers. Hours and hours of sweat and work she poured into this house to make it a home. It had been so outdated and in need of repair when she bought it six years ago.

Slowly she had restored and redesigned the interior turning it into what she wanted. She had always felt safe here. It was her sanctuary where she went after a bad day at work. The simple act of sanding or painting and even using a sledge hammer to tear down walls had always helped her to release her emotions. Here it was safe to be herself. She did not need to always be strong within these walls.

But that was before her sanctuary had been violated by Logan Hill. His attack not only broke her arm but shattered her confidence. Her safe haven was compromised. She took in a slow breath and exhaled with a deep sigh. Could she live here now?

The guys understood when Jules stopped and just stared at her door. Jules needed time to come to terms with her feelings before going in. None of them pushed her. They were simply there for her offering their support.

Greg glanced at Jules face. He saw her indecision. Greg remembered the day just over six years ago when Jules had almost literally bounced into the barn. She told them all that she had just bought a house. That she was done renting.

She was so excited. Jules invited them all to come over and see her home after shift that day. She made a point to say home not house. It was clear to Greg there was a distinction to Jules.

Every single one of them stared dumbfounded at the wreck of a house she had bought. Ed had said "How the hell are you going to live in something like that. You got ripped off Jules."

Spike was the only one brave enough to head upstairs. He was careful to step up two steps to miss the one that was rotted out. He had gotten nearly to the top and put his hand on the railing to steady himself to step over another rotted stair.

The railing wobbled which caused him to lose his balance a bit. Spike leaned more heavily on the railing. It was enough to cause the railing to crash to the ground. Spike's foot went through the rotted step when he compensated for the loss of the railing.

Spike's unflagging humor had come out in full force as he stood there knee deep in rotted stair and said "Great house Jules. Love the obstacle course you installed."

Over the years they had watched her turn the wreck into a beautiful home. There were only a few things she hired out like the electrical wiring and plumbing. Jules had done everything else to restore the home.

Greg felt sad that Jules was now standing in front of the home she had put so much of herself into undecided as to whether she could enter it. One man had destroyed in minutes what took Jules years to build. It was obvious to Greg that Wordy, Ed and Spike were thinking the same things he was.

Reaching out and putting his arm around Jules's shoulder Greg said softly "You are good at restoration. It may take some time but I'm confident in you that you can restore how you feel about this place. You will not let one man destroy all your efforts here. Your home is a beautiful reflection of how strong you are and what you are capable of."

Wordy took Jules's hand in his "Shall we go in together?"

Jules took a deep breath and clutched the new keys tighter. "No. I want to do this alone."

Spike asked "Jules are you sure?"

With a tight smile Jules turned to Spike "Yeah. I need to do this. I need to reclaim my home."

Ed said with confidence "Atta girl. We will be here waiting. Come get us when you are ready."

Greg squeezed her shoulder and hugged her to him "If you need us at all, holler and we will be there in seconds."

Jules nodded and stepped forward to the new front door. She looked at it and thought her brothers had done a good job. She had not yet contacted them. She had other things to face before she could face her brothers.

* * *

 _ **Inside Jules's Home**_

She inserted the key, unlocked the door and opened it. As she stepped inside an old feeling of peace washed over her. She had expected to feel something else.

Jules gazed at the stairs and smiled imagining Spike stuck up to his knee in a rotted stair step near the top. Ed had been so sure she had been ripped off and said he would take care of the agent for taking advantage of her. That was until she told him how much she had paid. Then he was stunned at the deal she had wrangled and said he had wished he knew her when he bought his house she would have gotten him a better deal.

Wordy and Lou had been the most supportive. They both could see her vision for the house. Lou and Wordy offered to help anytime she needed it. Spike was the funniest. His running commentary as she showed them the entire house that day had been humorous. But the icing on the cake was his girly screaming when he put his hand into a nest of spiders.

Greg had quietly watched her that day. His expression had been one of pride, sort of like a dad. He had hugged her and smiled. He told her that he was confident that she could make it into whatever she wanted to. Then he ordered pizza and soda for everyone saying it was important to have a house warming party. They had all sat on the floor of the dusty living room eating pizza and laughing together.

She stopped reminiscing, it was time to get it over with. With confidence she didn't quite feel she strode to the basement door. Fake it until you make it she told herself silently as her hand landed on the basement door. She turned the handle and opened the door.

Jules stood on the top stair for a moment. She flipped the light switch. The basement was flooded with light. More than what was there before. There were lighting fixtures that illuminated the entire basement now. No dim shadowed areas were left. Stunned she saw the changes to her basement. This wasn't in the photos Greg sent her.

She sat on the top step and stared. Her brothers did all of this for her? She had talked to Greg about her plans for the basement but hadn't started. He must have told her brothers. Oh my god! They did this for her.

Jules took in the finished basement. Gone were the block walls and in their place were finished walls. In the corner where all the boxes had been was a shelving unit and all the boxes neatly stacked in it. There was now a sink near the washer and dryer with a cabinet above it and a built in fold-away rack for hanging clothes.

The floor was now covered in the epoxy coating that she had wanted to finish it with. It was serviceable flooring that would allow easy cleanup for any type of project work she did down here. Jules stared at the spot where Logan had gone down and bled out. With the new epoxy covering not a single trace of blood was left.

She stood and walked down the stairs. Her hand brushed along the washer. She stood in front of it and noticed something else. Jules could see behind her. They had installed a mirror on the wall behind the washer and dryer.

A slight chill went down her spine. If she had had the mirror back then she would have seen Logan approaching her. The mirror gave her a small sense of security. No one could sneak up on her while she loaded or unloaded laundry now.

Jules turned and looked at the window. She walked to it and looked at the craftsmanship. They had installed a heavy duty window and lock.

Brayden, Keagan, Finley and Aidan had done all of this for her. Jules wiped away tears as she thought there might actually be hope of reconciling with them. She had missed them so very much.

With a renewed hope and some of her confidence restored she purposely strode to the stairs.

As her foot hit the first step she turned to the room and spoke to a ghostly apparition of Logan "You did not break me. You do not win. Despite you I will reclaim my life. This is _my home_ and you are not welcome here!"

The ghost of Logan vaporized, banished forever from her home.

Jules smiled. It was good to reclaim her home.

* * *

 _ **Green Trail**_

Sam pedaled slowly. Lizzy had agreed he could go mountain biking on four conditions. One the trail was flat. Two he went with at least two people. Three that he stopped to rest any time he felt fatigued. Fourth was not to overdo it or else. She left the or else unspecified. He could only imagine the amount of ice that would be needed with the or else repercussions.

The last condition was only given because Adam had come with him to therapy yesterday. When he asked Lizzy if he could go riding Adam opened his big mouth. Adam told her about the time he overdid it when his lungs were recovering. How he had to lay in the middle of the trail and wait for rescue.

Adam made him sound pathetic. Lizzy had just laughed and told him not to be mule headed and stay aware of his physical condition. Then she became stern and made him promise not to overdo it and to take more rest breaks than he thought he needed.

As of result of her agreeing he could go mountain biking Adam and Scott did not go with Spike and Jules as planned so they could take Sam riding. After Zach, Jules, Spike and Jeff left for Toronto the rest of them got ready to go trail riding. Blaze, Winds and Mason decided to come with them.

Kyle had shown up at the house just as they were heading out. He had three days off so had decided to come the General's home to help and hang out with the rest of the cousins. They had waited for him to change and join them on the ride.

So far Sam was enjoying the change of scenery and the wind in his face. It was certainly a much, much slower pace than he normally rode but it was still nice. They were only a quarter of the way along the green trail when he pulled to a halt. He would follow Lizzy's order because he promised. He could go farther but stopped anyways for a rest.

Adam who was bringing up the rear stopped and called out "Hey guys hold up." Then he came along side Sam "You okay?"

Sam got off the bike and pushed it to the edge of the trail then lowered himself carefully to the ground "Need a short break."

Smiling Adam said "Either you are starting to get smart about things or you are scared of Lizzy."

Blaze came up to them and said "Definitely scared of Lizzy."

Winds chimed in "I don't know. He's starting to show a bit more sense lately. I mean look he's been taking his meds without question and going to bed early."

Mason laughed "I don't blame him. Jules packs a pretty hard punch. I'd listen to her too. I got bruises from our last session in places I don't want to think about."

They all laughed as they recalled the training session. It was funny watching Mason get thrown to the ground by petite Jules. All the guys except Sam and Spike had been surprised at her abilities. They knew she was strong and capable but they had never witnessed just how much so before. Jules had picked up and perfected the new techniques very quickly. They were impressed.

Kyle sat down next to Sam and said "So when ya gonna marry Jules?"

Adam whacked Kyle upside the head "You're not supposed to ask that."

Rubbing his head Kyle asked "Why? Sam loves her. Why wouldn't you want to marry her?"

"I do and I would today if she would go for it" Sam said. "Thing are just complicated."

Kyle stared at Sam with the innocence of youth "Uncomplicate them then. She's worth it."

Scott rolled his eyes at his brother's comment "Oh the wisdom of youth. God please save us from that."

Kyle scowled at his brother and was about to retort when Winds, who was leaning against a tree, interjected "Kyle has a point Blondie. What's stopping you from asking? Doesn't mean you have to get married right now."

Sam lay back in the soft wild grass and gazed at the puffy white clouds slowly moving across the sky. Could he ask her? Would she say yes? Of course she would he thought even though there was some doubt.

Winds was right. Why wait to ask? They could stay engaged until they sorted things out. Then Sam thought about the trauma Jules had been through and the whole thing with her brothers. She had too much to deal with right now.

Sam answered "Now's not the right time. Wish it was but it's not."

Scott saw the wistful look cross Sam's face. He changed the topic as he handed Sam a water bottle "You got a call from Detective Jackson before we left. How's that going?"

Sitting back up to drink Sam said "Good and bad news I guess. The good news is that four of the boys can recall the wolf tattoo. I asked her if I still needed to testify now that four boys remember the tattoo."

Blaze asked "What did she say?"

Recapping the bottle and handing it back to Scott Sam answered "That's the bad news. Two of the boys' parents do not want them to testify thinking it will be too traumatic for them. The boys are only ten and fourteen right now. I know the General felt the same way about me testifying back then. I can't blame the parents. They are doing what they think is best for their boys."

"The third boy is eleven and the most recent boy assaulted by Dupont. He was assaulted about three months ago and attempted to cut his wrists eight weeks ago. The boy is currently in a pediatric psychiatric ward. He's not dealing well with it and his doctor says he should not testify at this time. The boy is not ready to handle it. He's too fragile and still suicidal."

Sam saw the faces of everyone cloud with worry for the boy. It was horrible that the boy was so traumatized that he considered killing himself. He was too young to be thinking like that. He had his whole life ahead of him.

"The fourth boy that recalled the wolf tattoo is not a minor anymore. He is now twenty. That's not a problem but the fact that he has a long documented history of lying and petty crimes is. Sally says his testimony could be made to appear less reliable because of that. She's afraid the defense will pick the guy apart. She's hesitant to do that to him. She thinks many of his troubles are a result of getting no help after he was abused. But it doesn't help the case against Dupont."

Sam sighed deeply "So she still needs me to testify. I guess I shouldn't be unwilling to do something I was hoping someone else would do. It's the only way to get justice for all of those boys that Dupont hurt."

Scott softly said "And for you too."

Sam nodded but didn't voice his thoughts. He had gotten a piece of justice already by beating Dupont's face to a pulp. Then Sam checked his thoughts. No, beating him was not justice; that was pure unadulterated vengeance. A tiny part of him was glad he had the opportunity to get some revenge. But the larger part wanted true justice, the legal way.

He wanted Dupont locked up until he died. Sam wanted Dupont to spend the rest of his life under the power and control of prison guards. That would be the ultimate justice. Dupont would hate every single day of his life not being able to be in control and having no power.

Sam was pulled from his thoughts as Blaze patted his shoulder "You can handle it."

"Yeah. Thanks to you guys" Sam said looking to Blaze, Winds and Mason.

Mason looked down as Sam "Like we keep telling you Blondie. No thanks necessary. You'd help us the same way in a heartbeat. I'm just glad we could help."

Adam stood up "You ready to hit the trail again?"

Scott offered a hand and pulled Sam up as Sam answered "Yeah."

* * *

 _ **Outside Jules's Home**_

Spike was surprised to see Winnie, Rollie, Curtis, Troy, Carl, Frank, Dale, and Mike arrive in addition to three men he didn't know.

Ed turned around and smiled "Glad you all could make it. Jules will be out in just a few minutes then Spike can start telling us all what to do. With all these hands we should be able to get it done today."

Greg introduced Angus, Zach and Jeff to the SRU members. Then he introduced Spike to the three temporary Team One members.

Spike, Chad, Jude and Kaleb spent a few minutes talking. Spike liked the guys. They seemed to have the right stuff for SRU. He wished that there were spots for them when he, Jules and Sam made it back.

As Spike stood off to the side he realized he just thought 'when' not 'if' he made it back. He grinned. With the help of Sam, Jules, Lizzy and all the others he had turned a corner without realizing it. It felt good. His smile broadened.

Wordy noticed a change in Spike and came close and asked "How are you doing?"

"Great! Absolutely great" Spike answered with his normal jovial tone.

The door opened just then and Jules was surprised to see the crowd of people outside her home. She grinned "Come on in. Welcome to my home."

* * *

 _ **Jules's Home – Kitchen**_

Once everyone came inside introductions of the temporary members were repeated for Jules. Spike headed for the kitchen and rolled out the plans on the island. Everyone gathered around for him to explain the installation and assign jobs. Angus and Jeff carried in all the supplies and the group got to work.

After an hour or so Jules and Winnie took a break and headed for the kitchen to put out drinks and snacks for everyone. Jules decided to get some coffee started in case someone wanted that instead of soda or water. She was busy with that when her doorbell rang. Winnie offered to get the door.

Winnie returned with Mr. and Mrs. Scarlatti in tow. With a big grin Mrs. Scarlatti trundled over to Jules with arms wide one weighted down by a large green and orange cloth bag and pulled her into a hug.

"Jules Sono così felice di vederti bene. Ero così preoccupato quando Mikey mi ha raccontato quello che è successo" Mrs. Scarlatti said.

Mrs. Scarlatti reminded herself that Jules did not speak Italian and repeated her comment in English "Jules I'm so happy to see you well. I was so worried when Mikey told me what happened."

"Thank you Mrs. Scarlatti. What do you have there?" Jules asked.

"Oh just some Ma's Love and a few other treats. Mikey told me what he was doing here today. Said we could stop by and see him. I hope you do not mind" Spike's mom said.

Jules smiled "I'm glad you came by. Spike will be happy to see you."

She looked up and saw Mr. Scarlatti looking at the security plans on the island. Jules added "And you too Mr. Scarlatti. Those are the plans Spike drew up for the system he is installing for me."

Mr. Scarlatti only nodded to Jules indicating he heard. Jules saw he was engrossed in the plans. She turned to Mrs. Scarlatti and she and Winnie helped her pull out all the goodies she had brought for everyone to snack on.

These plans are intricate Spike's father thought; very complex. This is what his son should be doing. Not risking his life being a cop. He worried so often about his son. The boy was too pigheaded to see reason. He was wasting his intelligence being a cop as well as putting himself in harm's way to help people.

His fingers tapped the plans as he thought this is what he should be doing. He could use his brain to keep people safer. He didn't have to go chasing around after bombs and people with guns to make a difference. If he didn't want to work for CSIS then he could install security systems. It would be safer and he wouldn't lose his only son.

He needed his son to be safe. Michelangelo had a duty to the family. He was dying and Michelangelo needed to be here to take care of his mother and sister when he was gone. Maybe his son would see reason. He decided to talk to him again about leaving SRU and doing something worthwhile and safer with his life when Michelangelo returned home.

Mrs. Scarlatti asked "So where is Mikey?"

"Upstairs" Winnie informed her.

"May I go up and say hi?" Spike's mom asked.

Jules nodded yes as she got a large plate down to place the Ma's Love onto.

Winnie smiled "I'll take her up Jules."

* * *

 _ **Jules's Home – Spare Bedroom Upstairs**_

Mrs. Scarlatti followed Winnie and the two chatted on the way. Winnie located Spike in the spare bedroom upstairs.

"Hey Spike, looks who's here" Winnie brightly stated.

Spike turned. His face split into a broad grin "MA!" He embraced her in a tight hug.

"Mikey ragazzo mio. Il mio ragazzo. Lasciati guardare te. Come ti senti?"  
(Mikey my boy. My boy. Let me look at you. How are you feeling?) his mom said.

"Ma che sto facendo bene . Sono così contento che sei venuto da. Mi sei mancato."  
(Ma I'm doing good. I'm so glad you came by. I've missed you) Spike responded.

Winnie smiled at them and then quietly left the room giving them some privacy. She stopped at the top of the stairs as she thought that Spike was such a nice guy. He was the perfect guy except for one thing. He was a cop.

She had a rule against dating cops. Her life needed balance. And even though he was the perfect package tied up in beautiful ribbons she could not break her rule.

But that didn't mean she couldn't flirt. And being friends would be good too. Too bad she could not break her rule. She found her mind wandering to images of his dreamy, caring brown eyes that often lit up with the excitement of a kid on Christmas morning.

Spike had the energy and eagerness of a kid. That quality was so endearing. Winnie also knew he was extremely intelligent and could be deadly serious when the situation required it.

Winnie shook her head dispelling thoughts of Spike. He was a cop. She didn't date cops. That was her rule and she would never break it even for the perfect guy. Would she? She descended the stairs rapidly needing distance from Spike to quiet those thoughts.

Spike and his mom had been talking about his progress and she made him make a fist. She fussed over his arm and squeezed his bicep gently. Several kisses to the cheeks and a few hugs helped her center and calm. She had missed him very much.

He loved his mom and good naturedly put up with all the fussing. Actually it felt kinda nice. He brightened up even more when she told him she brought Ma's Love with her. He asked her how she was doing and his father too.

Spike was surprised to hear his dad was downstairs. He decided he should go say hi and indicated to his mom they should head down to the kitchen.

Mrs. Scarlatti stopped and looked at him seriously and in only a tone a mother can use said "That Winnie is such a nice girl."

Spike blushed then responded "Ma!" embarrassed and nervous Winnie might have just overheard his Ma.

"Hai bisogno di trovare un buon donna come quella di Winnie a prendersi cura di voi. Hai bisogno di sistemarsi. Mikey sto ancora aspettando nipotini da voi."  
(You need to find a good woman like that Winnie to take care of you. You need to settle down. Mikey I'm still waiting for grandbabies from you) his Ma stated and then pinched his cheek.

Then she added "Si dovrebbe chiederle di uscire. Vedo il modo in cui ti guarda. Come ho guardato il tuo padre quando ero una bambina."  
(You should ask her out. I see the way she looks at you. Like I looked at your father when I was a girl.)

Spike's face was in full blush now. He was desperately hoping Winnie had not overheard the conversation. But then he realized his mother had spoken in Italian.

He sighed with relief until a question popped into his head. Did Winnie speak Italian? Then he wondered, how did Winnie look at him?


	30. Visit, Gold Stars, Wedding & The Red Box

**Visit, Gold Stars, Wedding & The Red Box**

* * *

 _ **Three Weeks Later – SRU HQ**_

Sam walked into SRU headquarters and stopped at the dispatch desk. Winnie was just heading back from the copy room when she caught sight of Sam. A wide smile graced her face as she said "Hello stranger."

Sam grinned "Hi Winnie. How are you?"

Winnie pulled out her chair and sat as she reattached her headset "Doing great. It's good to see you. When are you due back?"

Leaning on the desk Sam answered "Lizzy says three more weeks then I can come back on light duty."

"That's great. Are you staying here or just visiting? The team is missing you" Winnie responded.

"Just visiting. Needed some things from my apartment and thought I'd swing by to say hi." Sam wasn't about to tell her the real reason he was back in Toronto today. He smiled and added "I'll be back for good next week though after Lizzy releases me from PT. Speaking of the team, are they here?" Sam asked.

Winnie grinned thinking that Sam always healed very fast. It was good to see him and she knew the team would be sad they missed him. She answered "The guys are out on a call." She saw the disappointment on his face and offered "But I thought I saw Jules trudging up to the records room grumbling when they left. She should be back down shortly."

Sam grinned "She's loving light duty that much huh?"

"Don't you know it! She keeps bugging Sarge telling him she's ready to go out with the team" Winnie responded.

Jules exited the elevator and saw Sam leaning on the dispatcher's desk. Ah a sight for sore eyes. She had missed him so much the last week. It felt good to be home and back at work even if it was just light duty around the barn. But part of her wished she could have stayed with Sam at his parent's home in Ottawa.

Those weeks together where their relationship was wide open and easy had been wonderful. Even with all the therapy and emotional issues they had dealt with. It had been paradise being able to walk up and hug him or hold his hand or sit close to him or kiss him without fear of discovery.

She steeled herself knowing that they had to resume the façade of friends, albeit best friends. Her smile was genuine as she approached the desk taking in his body. Sam had lost a bit of weight but he was regaining his strength rapidly. Lizzy had been impressed at the speed of his recovery.

One more week and he would be back for good. Jules was looking forward to his return. The nightly phone calls just did not cut it. She missed falling asleep and waking in his arms. She missed the soft rhythm of his breathing as she lay awake at night. Jules had taken to calling him before bed each night and it was a toss-up as to who would fall asleep first as they lay with the phones tucked between their ears and pillows.

Sam heard the distinctive footfalls that were Jules's. He would know her stride anywhere. Also her scent wafted to him as she had exited the elevator. He turned and scanned the area seeing it was only the three of them. Sam's face broke into a WOW smile that lit his eyes up and he opened his arms wide as he took three steps to her.

To anyone who might happen to see them they embraced as friends. To them though they embraced as lovers. It was quick but each knew exactly what the other was feeling. They were starved for each other's touch. The seconds in the hug had been what each other needed.

Jules pulled back "Sam when did you get here?"

"Just a bit ago. Thought I'd stop and see everyone." He winked. They both knew who 'everyone' was … her.

Just then the team entered the building. Seeing Sam there were greetings and hugs and back slaps. Spike pulled Sam along with them to the briefing room. Jules followed too.

"So buddy you back home yet or just visiting?" Spike queried.

"Just visiting. Zach flew me down. I'm heading back after lunch" Sam answered.

Greg smiled. Sam was looking good. A little thinner but looking rested. It was good to see him. "What brings you here today?" he asked.

Sam saw the temps and didn't want to speak in front of them so just said "Had to meet with someone."

Ed understood and said "Chad, Jude, Kaleb I need you guys to go check the inventory in the SUV."

The three guys stood and headed out. They could see Ed was trying to get rid of them and that was okay by them because they could see the core team needed to discuss something. As they left each of them told Sam it was nice meeting him and looked forward to him joining them in a few weeks.

Holleran had decided to keep all three of the guys on until Jules and Sam were cleared for full active duty. He had implemented a process where they were building a set of officers that could be tapped as quick backups for SRU teams if they were shorthanded. These three guys fit the bill perfectly so the extra time training them with Team One was worth it.

Once they had left Wordy looked at Sam and asked "So how did the meeting with Jackson go?"

Sam leaned back and said "Sally said that Dupont coped of deal for the charges related to the hospital, plead guilty to them for reduced charges and jail time. But he is pleading not guilty to the sexual abuse charges though. It goes to trial in two weeks."

Ed asked "Anyone besides you testifying?"

Sam nodded "Yeah. Two more boys who are now adults have been found but they don't remember the tattoo only the cologne. The parents of the fourteen year old boy have reconsidered too. The boy actually told his parents he wanted to testify."

"You still going to testify then?" Greg asked knowing that Sam really did not want too.

"It's the right thing to do. I can't expect the others to do it if I'm not willing to do it" Sam answered.

Spike looked at him and then put a hand on his shoulder "You want any of us to be there when you testify?"

Shaking his head Sam answered "No. The General is going to be there but other than that it is a closed court room. No public allowed. It's the only way to ensure my name and the other guys names are kept confidential. I don't even know who the others are."

Jules remarked "That's good. I'm glad that Sally and the courts have been so good about that."

"Yeah, well they kind of have to seeing that we were all kids when the assaults occurred" Sam replied.

Ed looked at Sam and said seriously "If you need anything you know all you have to do is ask. Right?"

Sam looked at the team, his chosen family and smiled "Yeah I know. Thanks." He turned to Jules "I can't wait to see the changes your brothers made to your basement. Have you contacted them yet?"

Jules swiveled away from the group and stared out the window. Sam was instantly sorry he asked. They had talked a few times about it and he realized he was pushing her. He was about to say sorry when Jules spoke.

Gazing at the blue sky Jules gathered herself and decided to be completely honest with the men she saw as her family. "I know they mean well and they did a nice thing. But I'm just not ready to deal with them right now." She turned back to the team "For now you are my family. You guys have always been there for me. I trust you all. I don't know that I can trust them yet."

She blew out a breath and wiped away a tear that started to fall. "What's to say that they won't turn away again if my father finds out they contacted me. They did it once. They could do it again. It would hurt worse the second time. I don't know if I could take that."

Wordy put a hand on her shoulder "There is no rush. You will know if and when the time is right."

Jules looked into his soft warm blue eyes and saw the faith he had in her in them. She looked at each one of the guys and found they all supported her decision. She swallowed the lump of emotion in her throat and wiped away another tear. "Thanks for always being here for me. It means so much. I love you guys."

Sam wanted to reach out and hold her. It was a rare occurrence that Jules showed her vulnerability so fully and even rarer that she did it outside the safety of her home and his arms. He felt a sense of honor that she would feel so comfortable in showing that in front of them. Sam looked at the others too and saw his thoughts were probably reflective of theirs.

Greg got up and pulled Jules into a hug he whispered so low only for her ears "Daughter of my heart I will always be here for you. You make me so very proud. Whatever you choose will be right for you. Even if that means you never contact them."

The claxon alarm sounded and Winnie called out "Team One hot call. Shots fired at McDoodle's Emporium. Potential hostages."

Greg, Ed, Wordy and Spike headed out of the briefing room door calling bye to Sam. When they were gone and it was just Sam and Jules in the room Sam stood and hugged Jules. Neither saw Winnie glance their way and smile.

Sam pulled away "I'm sorry I pushed you."

Jules shook her head "No it's okay. I've been so indecisive about it. It confuses me too much still. I think I need to wait until everything is back to normal before I make any decision."

Sam looked all around them checking that they were completely alone and seeing that Winnie was engaged in the call he gave Jules a quick kiss on the cheek. "Like Sarge said whatever you choose will be right for you. Even if that means you never contact them."

She looked at him stunned "You heard that?"

"Yeah, but I don't think anyone else did" Sam said.

Jules laughed brightly. She didn't realize it carried and caught Winnie's attention. Winnie watched as Jules said "Between your sense of smell, eyesight and hearing no kids are ever going to get anything over on you."

Jules froze and couldn't believe what she just said. Oh god did she just say 'kids' when talking to Sam? That was sure one hell of a way to scare him off. Crap she wished she could pull back the words.

Sam stared at her his eyes wide. Jules just said kids. Kids! Kids and Jules? Could she be thinking about wanting kids? Could he be lucky enough that she might want kids with him someday? Her job meant the world to her.

Kids would complicate that. Sam couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his face as he pictured Jules holding a child they created. God it felt so right to him. Could she really want kids with him?

Jules watched Sam carefully trying to gauge his reaction to her words. He smiled but his eyes looked to be a million miles away. She cleared her throat "I gotta get back to work."

Sam registered her words and responded "Yeah I gotta get going too. Zach should just about be done with his errands. I'll see you next week." Then softly under his breath he said "Call you tonight."

She smiled widely then called out in her normal work voice "Glad you stopped by Braddock. Talk to you soon" as she headed out of the briefing room to the armory to continue the inventory she was working on.

Sam briefly stopped by Winnie's desk on his way out "See ya soon Winnie."

"See ya Sam" Winnie replied quickly as he headed out the door.

Winnie watched him walk out with only a slight hitch in his step. She turned in her chair grabbing a pad of paper and saw that Jules was watching Sam go out the door too. When Jules saw her Jules quickly turned heel and went back towards the armory. Winnie thought when are those two going to realize they are attracted to one another?

The sexual tension was clear as day to her. That hug she saw in the briefing sure wasn't nothing. They held it longer than would be normal for friends. She also saw Sam's head dip close to Jules head and look on his face was definitely more than just a friend. There was a sense of longing in his face.

Winnie's thoughts were put on the back burners as Ed asked her to get EMS. She made the requisite calls getting EMS to the scene then listened closer to the call to figure out why. She breathed a deep sigh of relief when she heard the Sarge thanking the subject for releasing the pregnant woman who went into labor. Thank goodness none of the team was injured.

* * *

 _ **One Week Later – Special Forces Base – PT Department**_

Sweat was running in rivulets down Sam's back as he worked the leg press. Lizzy was doing his final check out. He did the last rep and Lizzy smiled.

With a flourish she made a final checkmark on his assessment sheet "If I had any I'd give you a gold star Sam. I'm thoroughly impressed. You and Don are quite a pair."

Sam looked at her "Don?"

Lizzy laughed "You don't expect me to call my fiancée Blaze do you? Donald is just too formal and Donny just doesn't work for him."

Grinning Sam said "But Donald Duck does."

"Only Ben gets away with that. Although he doesn't tend to call him that much anymore. Sad when they start growing up" Lizzy said.

Standing up to grab the towel off the bench next to him Sam said "So have you guys picked a date?"

Lizzy blushed and motioned for him to come close. Sam leaned in close and Lizzy said quietly so her voice did not carry to all the other patients "I would have married him the day he asked. Don wanted to wait for you to be able to stand up for him as his best man."

Sam grinned "I'm standing and I'm walking. Nothing stopping you two now."

"I guess not. I'll talk to Don tonight and we'll figure out a date that works with everyone's schedule. Then I've got to find a place to hold it. Might be kind of hard to do on short notice. I'd do a courthouse wedding this afternoon but I know Don would like to have his family and friends attend. I want that for him" Lizzy said.

Blaze walked up and asked "How'd Blondie do?"

"Gold stars all the way" Lizzy reported. She flipped up the papers and signed the very back one then pulled it out of the clipboard. Handing it to Sam she said "You are officially released from PT. I signed off on your physical eval. All that's left is two weeks of light duty and your SRU requals."

"He'll pass those too with flying colors" a familiar voice said behind the trio.

Sam turned and smiled at his dad. "Thanks for your confidence Sir."

The General gave Samuel one of his rare smiles while on base and out in public as he patted his back. He looked to Lizzy and said "Ms. Wilder thank you for all you've done. If there is anything I can ever do for you please don't hesitate to ask."

Sam had an idea and pulled Blaze to him and whispered in his ear. A broad grin spread across Blaze's face and he nodded yes. Sam then whispered into the General's ear and another smile graced his face and he gave a nod to both Samuel and Blaze.

Lizzy looked at the three men and they looked almost boyish plotting something.

Blaze turned to Lizzy and said "Blondie's walking now. Would you do me the honor of marrying me on Saturday? Arrangements will be made to hold the wedding at General Braddock's home."

Her jaw dropped open. Blaze was looking at her expectantly and with eagerness if she had to pick emotions. Like a little boy waiting to open his Christmas present. Lizzy's hand covered her mouth as she said "Really?"

Blaze said "Really."

"Yes. Most definitely yes." She jumped into Blaze's arms and kissed him solidly. Coming back to her senses she quickly lowered herself from Blaze. Her face was flushed bright red as she turned to the General. She was thoroughly embarrassed by her unprofessional behavior.

The General was going to have to do some damage control for his 'badass' moniker he thought as he smiled broadly for the third time in a row in front of the troops. His voice was warm when he looked at Blaze and Lizzy "If you two would come to dinner this evening we can discuss the arrangements with Yvonne."

Blaze reached out to shake the General's hand "Thank you Sir. We will be there."

The General shook Blaze's hand and said "It's the least I can do. I owe you more than I can ever repay." His other hand landed on Samuel's shoulder and squeezed. The General meant what he said. Samuel was alive today because of Blaze and his unit had watched over and cared for Samuel when he was in JTF2.

* * *

 _ **Two Days Later – General Braddock's Home**_

Yvonne and company had worked their magic. There was a small flower covered gazebo near the pond with chairs set up. She had enlisted the help of all the Braddock men and women and absolutely everything was in place for the wedding within two days.

Blaze and Lizzy decided to use Remo's Italian restaurant to cater the wedding at the suggestion of Yvonne. It was the one that Max Leclair formerly known as Gaston Dupont had suggested the night of the hearing.

At Lizzy's insistence Sam had called and invited the team. Unfortunately Ed and Greg had unchangeable plans. Greg, Ed, Clark and Dean had tickets to a hockey game and the boys were really looking forward to it. But Wordy, Shel, Spike and Jules were able to make it. Zach had flown down to get them. Sam had stayed to help with the preparations.

It was a little after five pm when the ceremony started. Blaze was in his dress uniform with Sam next to him in his new black suit he had gotten for the hearing. Next to Sam was Winds and Jim.

Lizzy had asked Jules to be her Maid of Honor and Laura and Heather to be bridesmaids. As the procession started Jules walked down first, followed by Laura then Heather.

Sam only had eyes for Jules. He stared at Jules dressed in the stunning red dress. God she was hot, she was most definitely a sexy sniper chick tonight. He had missed her so much. Tonight without Ed and Greg present they could relax and enjoy themselves as a couple.

As Ben started down the aisle Sam grinned. Ben was walking tall and proud down the aisle as ring bearer. It never ceased to amaze Sam how much Ben looked like his father. He was growing up way too fast. A small pang of sadness flittered through his heart at the thought that Matt never knew he had a son.

The feeling fled as he saw little Anna toddling down the aisle as the flower girl. Her blonde curls bounced as she happily tossed the rose petals. Sam thought how lucky Scott and Laura were. Someday he wanted kids. The conversation with Jules in the briefing room popped into his head.

He stole a glance at Jules. She was smiling and he could tell her gaze was on Anna. Did she want kids? He would have to wait to ask her that after he asked her to marry him. But he had to find the right time to ask her that.

The music changed and he turned back to the aisle and watched a radiant Lizzy glide down the aisle on the arm of her son Ryan. He had hit his growth spurt and at twelve was almost as tall as his mother. Blaze was going to be an instant dad today. Blaze had been playing that role for both Ben and Ryan for the past few years. But tonight it would be official in the case of Ryan.

Sam turned to glance at Blaze. Besotted was the one word that came to mind when he looked at him. Sam sighed lightly. God he hoped one day he could look even that happy watching Jules walk down the aisle. Hell he wouldn't even mind if they got married in the morning then went to work.

He seriously had to figure out when he was going to ask her. The more he thought about it the more he wanted it. Even if it meant he had to give up Team One. Jules was worth it. First he would have to get a ring. He would never dream of asking her without a ring.

Jules would never go for something flashy like Lizzy's rock. She would want something sensible and pretty. Something she could wear on the job and not worry too much about. It would need to be small and simple with a low profile so it would not snag on her gloves. Jules liked white gold or platinum better than yellow gold. Would she like a round solitaire or one of those fancy cuts? For some reason a square cut popped into his head and took root. His mind started conjuring up ideas of how he could propose once he had a ring.

Sam was so lost in his thoughts he missed the entire vows and came back to reality when the pastor told Blaze he could kiss his bride. Whistles and clapping finally broke the two of them apart. Sam smiled as Jules hooked her arm in his as they made their way back down the aisle following Blaze and Lizzy.

The reception was a full on party atmosphere. A dance floor had been set up and music blared as alcohol flowed. More people than who attended the wedding showed up for the reception. It was relaxed and fun.

Jules, Spike, Wordy, Shel and Sam sat a one table. Sam was nursing his first beer of the evening not wanting to get drunk. His arm was slung casually over Jules shoulders. Jules was wearing his jacket over her dress as the evening chill had set in. He had loosened his red tie and unbuttoned his top two shirt buttons. Sam was thinking life was pretty great watching everyone enjoying themselves.

Ben ran up to Sam "Hey Uncle Sam."

"Hey what?" Sam asked.

"Wanna come fishing with me, Ryan and Uncle Winds tomorrow?" Ben asked.

"Sure. What time are you going?" Sam said ruffling the kid's hair.

Ben knocked Sam's hand away from his hair but moved in closer and leaned in for a hug "Don't know. Gotta ask Uncle Winds. Ryan and I are staying with him while Uncle Don and Aunt Lizzy go on their honeymoon."

Sam asked "Where's your mom?"

Ben pulled back a little "At some conference again. She didn't wanna go but she had too."

Adam sauntered up to the table and pulled out a chair. As he sat he said "A few of us are going trail riding tomorrow. Any of you want to join us. We are trying to get a head count in case we need to rent some bikes."

Ben's eyes widened and he turned to Sam "I want to go. Can we do that instead of fishing? Please."

Sam looked to Adam "Which trail were you thinking?"

"The red trail. But we could switch up and do the blue or even the green trail if we take the boys" Adam said.

Ben looked pleadingly at Sam as Sam stated "Go ask Winds and Ryan, majority rules." Ben took off like a shot.

Spike looked at Shel and Wordy and said "I think you two might like the green trail. I fell in love with it when I was here."

Wordy looked at Shel questioningly and she smiled and answered "Sounds like fun. I'm glad my parents agreed to watch the girls. They've wanted to have them over for a long time now. It's nice to have a small break every now and then."

Mason walked up with a woman next to him. Sam grinned. This must be the woman he had the date with several weeks ago. He had gone out on many more with her. Sam almost laughed. Love was knocking the tried and true confirmed bachelors on off their feet lately. Before long, even Winds might be tempted.

After greeting the table Mason said "I'd like to introduce you all to Marsaili Mac'IlleMhìcheil."

Sam smiled at her and said "Hi I'm Sam Braddock. These are my friends Kevin Wordsworth and his wife Shelley, Mike Scarlatti and Jules Callaghan. And this is my cousin Adam Braddock."

Marsaili smiled and said hello to them all. Her eyes lingered on Sam a bit longer than the others. He looked familiar but maybe that is just because he was related to the General with the name Braddock. She had been surprised when Mason asked her to come with him to a wedding reception at the General's home. He had invited her to the wedding too but she had to work.

Once introduction were done Mason turned to Sam and said "You won't believe this Blondie but Marsaili was the orderly that saved the duck for you in Kandahar."

Sam smiled broadly "Thank you. You have no idea what that meant to me. It was…"

He was interrupted by Ben who blurted out excitedly "They wanna go trail riding. Uncle Sam can we go please?"

"Ben it's not nice to interrupt" Sam said calmly.

"Sorry. But can we?" Ben asked again.

Sam laughed "Yeah we can. And Ben I want you to meet Uncle Mason's friend Ms. Mac'IlleMhìcheil. We both owe her a thank you."

Ben looked at him confused as did Marsaili. Sam continued "She is the one who fixed your Donald Duck."

Looking at Marsaili Ben's eyes brightened. The boy did not know the whole story and never would but Sam had told him how the duck had helped him and kept him company when he was all alone. When Ben had seen the stitching Sam had told him someone had been kind enough to fix it for him.

Ben stood tall and straight as he said sincerely "Thank you Ms Mac'IlleMhìcheil. Without that duck my Uncle would have been all alone. My Dad wouldn't have wanted Uncle Sam to be all alone."

Marsaili was stunned on several accounts. Both the boy and Sam correctly pronounced her name. The boy seemed older than his years with that thank you. Then she was floored when the General came up to the table and said "Son may I speak with you alone for a few minutes?"

Sam responded "Sure Dad in just one moment please."

How Marsaili kept her jaw from dropping to the floor she never knew. The General was speaking to Sam. Sam was speaking to him. Oh my gosh. The General had been sitting vigil by his own son that day. She had cleaned and fixed the duck for the General's son. Oh my gosh.

The General looked at her and said "Corporal Mac'IlleMhìcheil very nice to see you." Then he looked around the table and said "I hope you all enjoy yourselves tonight." Then to Sam he said "Please join me in my study in about ten minutes it won't take long." Sam nodded and the General headed off.

Sam turned to Ben "Yes we can go. Now scoot and go play with Ryan." Ben scampered off happily shouting to Ryan that they were going trail riding.

Turning back to Marsaili Sam said "As I was saying thank you. That duck belongs to my godson Ben and he is extremely important to me. His father was one of my best friends." Looking at the table he said "Excuse me I need to go see what the General wants."

He gave Jules a quick peck on the cheek and she smiled up at him. Jules said "Don't be too long Sam. You promised me we would dance tonight."

Sam laughed "And so we shall thanks to Lizzy's efforts."

Spike stood up and put out his hand to Jules "Thank god he's gone. It's time you got to dance with a sleek Italian Stallion. We don't step all over your feet like the Macho He-Man."

Jules laughed along with everyone else at the table and took Spike's hand. She turned to Wordy and said "He only asked me because Babycakes is not here."

That set off another round of chuckles from those who knew who babycakes was. Wordy explained to those who didn't then asked Shel to dance. Mason and Marsaili followed. Adam leaned back and grabbed Sam's beer and relaxed.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home – General's Study**_

Sam entered the study wondering just what it was his dad wanted to speak to him about. He walked in to find both his mom and dad in the room.

General Braddock said "Samuel please close the door and then take a seat."

Sam complied then asked "What did you want Sir?"

The General pulled a chair close to Sam's and his mom sat down. Then William sat casually on the edge of the desk.

Yvonne spoke "We see that Jules makes you very happy."

It was quiet like they expected him to respond. He waited a bit more to see if either would say something else. When they didn't he said "Yes she does."

Both his parents smiled. His dad reached for something on the desk and handed it to Yvonne as he said "I refuse to make the same mistake twice. I know you are happy with the SRU. I know you make a difference there. But I know that there are rules that are preventing you from reaching out for your happiness. I want you to know that if you need me too I can pull some strings and get you back in."

Yvonne quickly reached out and took Sam's hand "Relax Sammy. It is just an offer. It is nothing you need to act on unless you want. We want you to be happy. Jules makes you happy."

Sam settled down. His dad was not forcing the Army on him. He could see he was trying to be helpful. "I don't want to do that right now. I'd rather go the path I'm on. SRU makes me happy too. But you are right, Jules is the one for me. If I need to I will give up SRU for her. But I'd like to see if I can have both."

Yvonne turned Sam's hand over then placed the item that his dad had passed to her in his hand. Sam stared at the small red velvet box. He opened it and saw the contents. It was perfect as if it was conjured from his thoughts at the wedding. He looked questioningly to his parents.

The General cleared his throat of emotion "It last belonged to my mother, your grandmother. It has been passed down for generations. As the eldest son of the eldest son it's been in my safe keeping for you if you choose to use it. If not it will pass to Jeff since Mark is the second son. And so on until it is either used or passes to the next generation."

Sam was struck speechless. He closed the box and closed his hand around it. Tears welled in his eyes as he looked at his parents. Sam finally found his words "Thank you. Thank you for everything. Thank you for loving me and never giving up hope for me."

The General pulled both Yvonne and Samuel up and embraced them "Samuel we will always love you. We always have. We want you to be happy and we are happy you have found the one."

Yvonne kissed Sam's cheek and said "Sammy she would be a fool not to say yes. And you know. Jules is no fool. She is a beautiful, strong, intelligent woman. Now go out there and enjoy your evening."

Sam kissed his mom then hugged her. He shook his dad's hand and then hugged him. He smiled and put the box in his pants pocket then patted it.

After Sam left Yvonne turned to William "When do you think he might ask her?"

The General smiled "No idea. Every time I think I have a handle on Samuel he switches up. I hope soon though. I'd like to join Erik in the grandparents realm."

Yvonne smiled "Yes that would be nice. Shall we go enjoy the party too?"

William pulled Yvonne to him and kissed her soundly then gave her a WOW smile and wiggled his eyebrows "Maybe we should retire and have a party of our own."

Yvonne giggled.


	31. Jules Day, Phoenix Rising & Limit Reache

**Jules Day, Phoenix Rising & Limit Reached **

* * *

_**One Week Later – SRU HQ – Briefing Room**_

Jules walked into the briefing room and waved hi to the team. It was nine am and she was just getting in having taken a part of the morning off before doing her requals among other things. Only Spike knew that she had scheduled her requals to coincide with Sam's court date on purpose.

She had wanted to be there for him in the morning as he prepared. It was a good choice. If she hadn't been there he would have gone without eating or drinking anything and that would not be good. He seemed nervous but after they talked a bit over breakfast Sam got a better handle on things and settled.

By the time she had to leave at eight Sam was dressed in his suit and sitting at the island sipping coffee waiting for the General to pick him up. She had offered to drive him to the courthouse but he had insisted that they needed to get back into the best friend mode. It might raise too many questions if the team knew she drove him there.

Ultimately she agreed. Sam was right. But it was going to be tough to get back into that mode. When she left this morning for the barn he reinitiated their transition routine. Sam had followed her to the door then leaned down and kissed her lightly on the cheek. She had kissed him back the same way completing their transition ritual.

"Morning guys" Jules called out as she handed a sheet to Greg and then took her normal seat.

Spike greeted her with a huge smile "Mornin' Jules."

Greg grinned and handed the sheet to Ed then said "Perfect as always Jules. Welcome back to full duty."

Ed waved the paper at the temps and said "I'm thinking training this morning. You three could use a little training Jules's style."

Jules smiled and said confidently "Cool it must be Jules day!" then high fived with Ed.

Wordy laughed "Isn't everyday Jules's day."

Spike was swinging back and forth in his chair and answered "Nah just every other day. She has to share with Samtastic day." He spun out of range just before Jules's playful punch could land on his arm. Then he said "Gettin' slow there Jules."

Ed cocked one eyebrow up and looked at Spike "You have a death wish we don't know about Spike?"

"I'll show you slow Spike. Just be prepared to have your butt handed to you in the next hand to hand training session. Remember the moves Mason showed me work on normal sized tech geeks too" Jules stated holding back a laugh as Spike quickly got out of the chair and hid behind Wordy.

Spike pointed to the rookie temps "You're training them remember."

Chad, Jude and Kaleb laughed at the antics. They never tired of the good natured joking and teasing. Since Spike had been back each one of them had been subjected to various pranks. None of them were looking forward to leaving the team when the time came. This job was tough but their teammates made it a bit easier with the way they used humor to relieve tension and stress.

Kaleb turned to Jules "So you have some new techniques to show us. Cool I'm all for a Jules's day."

Ed stood up and said "Then let's get to it. Everyone head to the armory first and grab a vest. We'll do hand to hand in full tactical gear."

As they headed out Wordy draped an arm over Jules's shoulder and held her back as the others left then quietly asked "How was Sam this morning?"

"A bit nervous at first but he's gonna do just fine" she answered. Then she added in a low concerned voice "Was it obvious?"

Wordy shook his head no "Just knew today was the trial and figured you had talked to him to offer support."

Jules blew out a breath. It was gonna be hard returning to the best friend mode.

* * *

 _ **Toronto Superior Court of Justice – Outside Courtroom 4**_

Sam sat still and at attention on the bench outside courtroom four. He was focused inward finding the place he needed to be in order to do what he had to do inside the courtroom today. With the help of Blaze, Winds, Jim and Mason he had prepared as well as he could. But facing Dupont directly was going to be tough.

He wasn't entirely sure what emotion he would feel when he saw him in person. Would it be fury or shame or fear or something else? Sam hoped whatever he felt he would at least be able to maintain his composure. He slowly began sniper breathing to slow his heart-rate and calm himself.

The courtroom would be cleared of everyone except the Justice, the Court Clerk, Dupont, Detective Jackson, the two lawyers, the General and him. The jury would be listening to the testimony from the adjacent room. The Bailiff would escort Dupont in and then stand guard in the jury room next door. There was a police officer on the door into the courtroom to keep the public out.

Sam glanced at the female officer who looked mostly bored. He could understand that look. Courthouse duty was never the most thrilling part of the job but it was still an important job. He had done a short stint when he was in the 51st Division when he was on light duty after returning from his injuries. He was glad someone would be standing guard and not allowing anyone into the court room today.

His eyes returned to the wall directly in front of him and his thoughts returned to what he was facing in that room. Sam was glad the judge had agreed to his request to testify in the room with Dupont. All the others were going to testify from a separate room not wanting to even be in the same room with Dupont. They wanted to keep their identities secret from Dupont most of all. However Sam wanted to look Dupont in the eyes as he testified. He needed the bastard to know that he held no power over him.

One of the ways he did that was by the way he was to be referred to in the court documents. When he and his dad met with Sally several days ago to prep for the trial, Sally said he would be referred to as 'victim one' in all court proceedings and documents. Sam had protested and insisted he was not a victim but had survived and thrived in spite of what Dupont tried to do to him. He would not give Dupont the satisfaction of seeing him referred to as a victim.

Sally and he had bantered back and forth trying to come up with a moniker to use. Sally laughed and suggested Batman or Superman. He had countered with a bland survivor or John Doe. It was the General that suggested the name that stuck. He liked the imagery of the name. It was perfect. Sally had agreed with a huge smile and said she would let each of the guys select a name they wanted to use.

Sam got a kick out of the names they selected when Sally shared them with him. The fourteen year old boy selected Mr. Wayne because he liked Batman. The nineteen year old selected Mr. Logan because he was a fan of Wolverine. The twenty-three year old selected Mr. Raphael because Raphael was the badass of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Sam glanced at his dad sitting at attention next to him. He was learning a lot about his dad in this whole process. Sam was glad he was here with him today. His dad was dressed in a suit and tie instead of his uniform today so that he did not draw undue attention or recognition. The General had quietly confided to him that it was also because he was here to support Samuel as his Dad not as the General. That had meant a lot to Sam.

The waiting was getting to him a bit. He felt like squirming but he relied on his sniper training to hold him still and focus on his mission. His mission was to take out Dupont via the legal system. His target was in his crosshairs and he rarely missed. Dupont was going down he thought confidently.

But then the door opened and Sally appeared "It's time." A wave of nerves hit him. His insides rolled and breakfast threatened to come up. He shouldn't have eaten. His breath hitched.

The General looked at Samuel. He saw Samuel take a deep breath and release it slowly. Placing a hand on his shoulder he said softly "You can do this. Let's go put that bastard in his place." Then he stood and waited.

Sam took one more deep breath and stood as he blew it out. He straightened his tie and buttoned his suit jacket. He thought that he was getting a lot of use out of this new suit. Three times in a little over a month. Today though he had chosen a more subdued tie. His black suit was now paired with a light gray shirt and black tie.

He felt comfortable it in and told Jules that this morning. She had just smiled and said it must be because he was wearing the colors of his SRU uniform. That hadn't dawned on him before she said it. He had unconsciously selected the gray shirt this morning. But she was probably right. It gave him a little something else, maybe an armor of sorts.

Sam stood tall, lifted his head, squared his shoulders and strode confidently into courtroom four.

The General did the same and followed Samuel into the courtroom. As he entered he gave a slight nod to the female officer that was guarding the door. He did not see the look of disdain she shot at Samuel just before the door closed.

* * *

 _ **Toronto Superior Court of Justice – Entrance**_

He entered the building carrying his tool bag. Wiping the sweat that beaded on his forehead he joined the line waiting for the metal detectors and scanners. He placed his bag on the conveyor belt and walked through the metal detector. As he waited for his bag to go through the scanner he checked his watch. It was now nine forty-five. The trial was set to start today at nine. They would be in full swing now.

As expected his bag got flagged. He was pulled off to the side for inspection. He pulled out his identification and showed it to the security guard. Then he pulled out another piece of paper and handed it over. "As you see I have a permit to bring these tools of my trade into the building."

The security guard scrutinized the paperwork and found it to be in order. "What is your business here today?" he asked.

He answered "Third floor men's bathroom. Got a call and was told that there is something wrong with the pipes." He thought to himself I know exactly what is wrong with them since I caused the problem just before the courthouse closed yesterday.

The guard checked the service list and found the plumbing company name and the service to be performed. It checked out. He smiled "Take the stairs to your left. It's the men's room just past courtroom four."

He nervously smiled and said "Thanks" as he picked up his bag and headed for the stairs.

* * *

 _ **Toronto Superior Court of Justice – Outside Courtroom 4**_

Brisa Horne had glared at the back of Sam Braddock as he entered the courtroom. It was his entire fault that she was now assigned the lowly role of courtroom guard duty instead of being on the elite SRU team. All the injustice she had endured stemmed from her innocent opinion of his actions. She had the right to voice her opinion. What else was she supposed to think with all the media was telling them in all those reports?

She had bristled as the door closed. Just what the hell was he doing here anyways? As a guard at the courthouse she never knew what went on in the courtroom because she only ever stood outside. Closed hearings were nothing new. They happened all the time but she wondered why Braddock was going into a closed hearing. She had no idea.

Brisa hoped he was getting sued. He did break the guy's jaw in four places she thought. A civil suit against Braddock would be warranted. But given all the media attention before she could see that his family had swung their power to get the hearing closed. They wouldn't want to tarnish the pretty boy's hero reputation. It made her sick how rich people wielded power to get away with things.

With all her heart Brisa believed that Braddock got away with assaulting that poor security guard, no matter what the news was now reporting. His family had too many connections and all but controlled the military. No wonder he could get away with it. They did a nice snow job on the media with that damned press conference. She bet that Cross of Valour and those Sacrifice medals were trumped up. Probably got them for getting a splinter in his ass or something stupid like that.

Brisa hoped he paid through the nose. It was all his damned fault her career was now in the toilet. Her complaint to HR had been summarily dismissed. Some shit about Team One didn't think they could trust her and the Sergeant was within his rights to choose the team members. They couldn't trust her? Ha. But they could trust a teammate that beat the shit out of someone. It made no sense to her.

The little sign by the door lit up indicating the hearing was back in session now. God she hated this boring duty. Nothing ever happened. The building was secure, the guards at the entry made sure of that. Her role here was just for show and that irritated her. No real policing was needed. Any smuck could stand in front of a door.

Brisa was bored and now pissed off. Checking her watch she saw it was now ten am. She had been standing here since eight-forty this morning. Brisa needed a break from this mind numbing monotony.

She smiled as an idea popped into her head. She looked left and then right seeing no other courtrooms under guard this morning. No one would ever know if she left.

Brisa decided to go grab a coffee and hopefully the vendor just outside the courthouse would still have one of those strawberry filled doughnuts she loved. She would be back before the hearing ended with no one the wiser. Brisa headed for the stairs. She nodded to a plumber that was ascending the stairs at the same time she was descending them.

* * *

 _ **Toronto Superior Court of Justice – Inside Courtroom 4**_

Sam strode assuredly to the witness box and was sworn in by the clerk of the court. He took his seat and forcefully made himself relax and ensured the cool mask was on tight. Sam then turned and faced Dupont.

He was surprised by the feeling that rolled through him. It was a complex mix. There was definitely anger but there was also regret, revulsion, and satisfaction.

The anger was twofold. Part for what Dupont had done to him personally and part for what he had done to all the others. Dupont's actions had not only hurt him and the other boys but also their families and others who loved the boys. One man's depraved actions had brought physical and emotional pain to so many people. That sparked his anger.

Regret sneaked in. Sam regretted that he did not or could not say anything as a child. Rationally he knew that he had no control over what happened. But there was still that small twinge of regret that if he had been able to say something then he might have prevented all the other boys from being hurt.

Revulsion was a given. The man sitting there was just plain and simple revolting. His actions against little boys was beyond disgusting. The smug look on Dupont's face right now added to both his anger and his revulsion feelings.

The last feeling is what he focused on. Satisfaction. Today Dupont would be brought to justice. Once convicted he would never see another day outside of prison. Sally had told him she would seek that Dupont serve the prison terms sequentially rather than consecutively. Thus making it impossible for him to get out for good behavior even if he was only found guilty on the four charges from those testifying rather than all twenty-seven charges they brought against Dupont.

Dupont glared at Sam. How dare that little brat sit in that witness box and accuse him. He smirked. By the time his lawyer got done cross-examining him he was going to wish to god he had never accused him. He had pleaded guilty for the charges in the hospital because his lawyer worked out a deal for assault on an officer rather and attempted murder.

Also because of that visit he had one night. At first he thought he might have dreamed it. But then he had woken up in a urine soaked bed and his call button dangling out of his reach. That wraithlike voice had scared the piss out of him. None of the hospital staff had seen anything. So he decided take the threat for real and confess to the assault.

Doing time for assaulting an officer would get him some cred in prison. He could work with that and establish himself as dominate. He could do the ten years easy. He would probably shave off three or four years for good behavior.

But after that deal was done he had been shocked when Detective Jackson filed twenty-seven counts of sexual assault of a minor against him. He had been so careful. None of his boys ever saw his face; well none except for his first one. Glaring again at Braddock he vowed to find a way to get revenge.

Gerard looked to his lawyer. He had lucked out with the public defender and the lawyer seemed to like him. The lawyer gave him the respect he deserved. Always called him Sir and said he would do all in his power to rip to shreds the credibility of anyone one foolish enough to try and accuse his client of sexual assault. He said all they had were shoddy recollections of little boys.

Sam shifted his gaze to the Crown Prosecutor. He was pleased to see it was Isaac Glover. That man had a sense of honor. Due to his work Elliot Blather had been dis-barred and was serving two years in prison for his part in the charges brought against him. Todd Morin was serving a three year sentence for his part in it after they found he had forged the Crown Attorney's signature on several of the documents used to move the case forward.

Isaac Glover stood when the Justice ask if the Crown Attorney was ready to proceed. He said "Yes Your Honor we are." Turning to look at Sam he said "As you were a minor when the incident took place and these proceedings will maintain the confidentiality of your identity please state the name you wish to be referred to by the court."

In a clear and confident voice with no hint of fear or shame Sam looked at Dupont and said "Mr. Phoenix."

In his head he smiled though outwardly he remained unemotional. The code name his dad had given him was perfect. Sam did indeed feel like this testimony would be a rebirth of the phoenix. Out of the ashes of his childhood he grew into a man who was loved by many. After this he could put it all behind him and not allow it to ever color his world again.

Isaac grinned "Mr. Phoenix can you please recount for the court your recollection of the assault that was perpetrated on you when you were eleven."

Sam launched into the details. He spoke in a clear and steady voice for the most part. There were a few times when he related things he knew would deeply hurt his dad that his voice quavered slightly. Sam provided exacting details of how the abuse started small and escalated culminating with the sexual assault. He also explained how and why he ran away and the state he was found in after twelve days.

He added in the details that Dupont had told him at the hospital. How Dupont had taken his supplies and left him for dead.

Unbeknownst to Sam or anyone in the courtroom the jury in the adjacent room was in tears. The jury consisted of five men and seven women. There was not a dry eye on anyone. It had been devastating to listen too. They all noted that the quavering voice did not happen when Mr. Phoenix described the worst that happened to him. It quavered when it bespoke of pain that his parents would feel.

Once Sam was done relating the facts of the assault Isaac asked him to describe any identifying marks or other characteristics unique to his abuser. Sam described the cologne and the two tattoos.

Glover stood and said "No further questions for Mr. Phoenix at this time."

Justice Hadebrand turned to the defense counsel and asked "Does the defense wish to cross examine?"

Yered Lipman rose and answered "Yes Your Honor." The judge prompted him to begin and Lipman asked "Mr. Phoenix why is it that you wish to remain anonymous? Are you ashamed of yourself?"

Isaac shot up "I object Your Honor. The assault happened while Mr. Phoenix was a minor and the second question is attacking the witness."

"Sustained. Mr. Lipman you will refrain from attacking questions" Justice Hadebrand instructed.

Lipman nodded happy that he got in his shot to try and rattle the witness. He wasn't sure if it did what he wanted though. The man on the stand was stoic and showed little emotion. He asked "Isn't it true that you are just making this up to get out of being charged for assault when you attacked Mr. Dupont in the hospital physical therapy department?"

Isaac was on his feet again "I object Your Honor. I move that the entire question be struck from the record because it provides identifying information in it."

Hadebrand ruled "Sustained. Mrs. Decker strike said question from the record. Mr. Lipman craft your questions appropriately."

"Mr. Phoenix, why should the court believe you?" Lipman threw out.

Sam answered "Because it is the truth and I don't lie."

Lipman smirked "You mean for the court to believe that you never lie. That you have never once lied?"

"Never in a court of law. Never under oath" Sam responded.

"But you have lied before?" Lipman pushed.

Keeping his voice calm and steady Sam answered "White lies to spare someone's feelings sure. Anyone with a conscience does that. But if I don't want to speak on something I change the subject rather than answer untruthfully. In my line of work though telling the truth is important even if it hurts."

Lipman then asked "There is no evidence that any of this occurred. Only your recollection. You said you repressed the memory. Is that correct?"

"Yes Sir" Sam replied.

"How many concussions have you had?" Lipman asked smiling.

Isaac popped up again "I object Your Honor what is the relevance of that question?"

Hadebrand asked "Mr. Lipman of what relevance is that question?"

"Your Honor. This witness claims to have repressed memories that just came back. The defense questions the validity of his supposed recollection at a convenient time. Additionally we are aware that Mr. Phoenix has a history of concussions that could put his memories in question. His brian may have been scrambled too many times for it to be reliable."

The Justice responded "Over-ruled. The witness shall answer the question."

Sam counted up the times he had officially diagnosed and left off all the unofficial times as he carefully answered "I've been diagnosed with a concussion eight times."

Justice Hadebrand's eyebrows shot up. Wow that many times. The judge knew who the witness was, how could he not with all the media coverage a while back? He wondered how many of those were related to his service with JTF2.

Isaac was glad that he and Sally had discussed the need to bring in an expert to testify on repressed memories. He made note to speak to the doctor tonight and ask if concussions played any negative role. He also glanced at Sam and tried to communicate not to worry. It was clear from Lipman's line of questioning he had nothing to go on to refute the claim. It was a bumbling attempt to rattle the witness. Sam seemed to get the message and he saw him relax in the chair.

* * *

 _ **Toronto Superior Court of Justice – Third Floor Men's Bathroom**_

He went into the bathroom and checked all the stalls. Finding the bathroom empty he pulled from his bag the out of order sign and affixed it to the outside of the door. Then he locked it.

Leaning on the wall he stopped to breathe. He was so nervous. It had taken some planning but so far it had gone off without a hitch. He squatted down and opened his bag further. Taking out the wide metal case he opened it and removed the normal tools. He lifted the false bottom he had rigged and pulled out the nasty looking serrated five inch knife blade.

He dug in the bag and pulled out the rectangle of metal he had made to act as the knife handle and his small blow torch. The knife blade inserted nicely into the slit he had made in the handle. Setting that down, he then lit the blow torch. He quickly ran a metal bead around the insertion point and melded the two together.

When the metal cooled he tested the weld. Firm enough to do the job. It might not hold for a firm upper thrust and twist to the kidneys. But it was sufficient for his intended use. He was going to slit that bastard's throat today.

The bastard had been too well protected until now. But only a few people would be in that courtroom today. It was the perfect time to seek his revenge. The bastard would finally die today. No more waiting.

He placed the knife on the counter and put the blow torch away. Then he grabbed a wrench and went to the pipes. He set to work and quickly fixed the issue he had caused yesterday. When he was done he stripped off his coveralls, folded them and put them in his bag with the wrench.

Next he pulled out a small picture from his bag and gazed at it fighting back the tears. The green eyes that stared back at him from the picture used to be so full of life but they were no more. He missed the laughter he used to hear from that mouth.

God it still hurt so much. Sadly he said "I do this for you Matt. He deserves to die for what he did to you son. He has lived longer than he should have. Today he dies. Today I will finally get vengeance you."

He kissed the picture and slipped it into his pocket. Then he pulled a folded note out of the bag and put it in his pocket too. He closed the bag and put it under the sink then stood and looked in the mirror.

The man that stared back at him was almost unrecognizable to him. He wasn't young to begin with but he had aged so much since it happened. Stress and grief will do that to you he thought. The dark circles under his green eyes seemed to be a permanent fixture now since he rarely slept. He would wake screaming trying to save his son but he was always too late. He was not able to save him and he would watch as the light and humor disappeared from his son's eyes.

He had not known who was responsible for so long. Not until recently. Once he found out he had started to put his plan together. He knew how to get in. That wasn't the problem. Getting out after he killed the bastard was the problem. He took one last look at himself in the mirror. He had reached his limit. He was no longer the man he once was.

Taking in a deep breath he blew it out roughly. He had to do this for Matt. For the life and future that was so cruelly taken from him. He had to kill the bastard even though he was not a violent man. He corrected himself; he didn't used to be a violent man. Not until evil touched his life through his son.

He could not rest until he killed him even if it meant dying himself. He ran his fingers through his brown hair that was starting to gray.

His fingers closed tightly around the makeshift knife handle. Matt deserved justice. The bastard was meeting his judge, jury and executioner today.

He turned from the mirror and headed for courtroom four.

* * *

 _ **Toronto Superior Court of Justice – Inside Courtroom 4**_

Lipman continued to ask questions and Sam answered them with ease. In short order it became clear to Sam the lawyer was grasping at straws trying to discredit his testimony in any way possible. Isaac objected when necessary and Sam answered calmly when he had to. He watched as Dupont's demeanor started to change. He could see the anger building in the man.

Sam decided to maintain eye contact with Dupont as he answered. It seemed to piss off Dupont and he wasn't above wanting to exact a small measure of revenge on Dupont. It was a bit spiteful but it felt damned good to show Dupont he had no hold over him. No power. He was not afraid of the man.

General Braddock watched his son and pride in him grew. He handled himself admirably. The defense lawyer was an imbecile and he could see the judge's patience with the man was wearing thin. He wondered just how much longer he was going to allow the fruitless and irrelevant line of questioning to continue.

It seemed to Sam that Lipman was running out of steam. He had just asked another inane question and Sam saw Isaac about to stand as the door to the courtroom whipped opened then closed. The man that entered quickly locked the door.

Everyone in the room was taken by surprise. They all remained still as a man with a large serrated knife turned and rushed forward yelling "You die today bastard!"


	32. So Very Close It Scared the Hell Out Of

**So Very Close It Scared the Hell Out Of Him**

* * *

 _ **Toronto Superior Court of Justice – Jury Room**_

The bailiff heard the man yell and immediately called security and informed them of the situation in the court room. As he did so he locked the door from the court room into the jury room to protect the jurors. Then he went to the door to the hall and locked it to per procedure.

He wanted to go into the court room but his first priority had to be the safety of the jurors. He continued to relay what he was hearing to the head of security who was in turn relaying it to the 911 operator.

* * *

 _ **Toronto Superior Court of Justice – Entrance**_

Brisa had been sitting on the bench by the vendor enjoying a break in the sunshine. She had sipped her coffee and finished her strawberry filled doughnut. It was a beautiful day and she hated being stuck inside doing menial worthless guard duty.

She was approaching the entrance to the court house as she saw people flooding out of the doors.

Brisa tossed her coffee in the trashcan by the door and raced inside. Something was going on. As she reached the security station just inside the door she pulled the first security guard she could find and asked "What is going on?"

The young man shook his head "I don't know. We have gone into lock down procedure though."

Brisa saw the head of security and hurried over to him "Why are we in lock down mode?"

The head of security turned and saw the officer but ignored her as he relayed information to the 911 operator "Yes one subject armed with a knife is what the bailiff is informing me. Eight hostages. No I do not know who the man is or who he is threatening to kill. Yes we implemented lock down. Yes I'll hold for SRU."

Brisa listened but was annoyed at being ignored. She turned to another security guard and asked "What court room?"

He answered "Four."

She paled. The realization that she had just flushed her career down the toilet for a doughnut sunk in. She so screwed up. This was gonna cost her job for sure. "Dammit get your head out of her ass" she chided herself as she ran up the stairs.

Brisa needed to do something to resolve the situation to save what was left of her miserable career. Maybe she could be the hero and they would never know she left her duty station. Maybe this would get her back into SRU. Maybe.

* * *

 _ **SRU HQ – Gym**_

Jude was circling on Jules. He was in a low position and his arms at the ready looking for his opportunity to take her down. He outweighed her by at least one hundred and thirty pounds. He was surely more than double her weight and a foot taller than her. Jude was sure he could take her. Kaleb and Chad were yelling encouragement to him.

They had already gone up against her and had their butts handed to them. She was a dynamo if he ever saw one. But he was confident his size and weight would be his winning factor. Kaleb and Chad were built more like Spike. No slouches and they had muscle but they didn't have the advantage he had. There was no way in hell she could take down someone as large as him.

His eye caught Spike's face. The look he wore was one of amusement. Did he find it funny that he was going to take down Jules? He refocused on Jules.

Jules watched Jude closely. She was toying with him. She saw his glance go to Spike and she could have taken him down then but choose to say "Stay focused on me don't look at Spike. It only takes a split second of distraction for the subject to get the upper hand."

Jude answered "You're saying that you could have had me when I glanced at Spike?"

"Yeah I could have" Jules said.

Jude shook his head "Doubtful I outweigh you. I … OOOMPH."

Jules had him down, flipped and his arms yanked high up his back before he even knew what hit him. Jules smiled up at the guys.

Ed chuckled "You were saying Jude?"

They all burst out laughing at Jude's perplexed face as Jules released his arms, got off him and he rolled to his back "How? How did you do that?"

Jules reached out a hand to haul Jude up when the claxon alarm sounded.

Winnie called out "Team One. Hot call. Superior Court of Justice. Man armed with a knife. Eight hostages. Sarge I'm patching the head of security through to you."

As the team ran to the armory to gear up Jules said "Sam's there today."

Ed stopped and looked at her "That was today?"

As she pulled out her Remi and slung it on her shoulder she answered "Yeah. The General is with him too."

Spike was already racing to the command truck as he said "Chad you're with me in the command truck I need you to drive so I can pull up the blueprints."

* * *

 _ **Toronto Superior Court of Justice – Inside Courtroom 4**_

Many things were going through Sam's head as the man rushed forward. What happened to the officer outside? Was she hurt and did she need help?

He looked at the knife. There was no blood on it or the man. So he deduced she was not stabbed. Incapacitated some other way then he concluded. He hoped not a snapped neck and that she was only tied up or unconscious and not severely injured.

Next he thought he needed to contain the situation and calm this man. He needed to determine who the bastard was that he was intent on killing. He realized that the bailiff would be able to hear what was happening in here. He hoped he followed protocol and secured the jurors then contacted 911 who then would contact SRU.

He tried to calculate how soon an SRU team would be here. It depended on what calls were already in progress. If there was a team at the barn it would be fairly quick. He needed to contain the situation until they got here.

Sam watched as the man rushed forward but stopped two rows back from the counsel desks. His eyes were scanning the group and Sam thought he saw concern or surprise flicker in the man's eyes. But there was also a haunted but determined look to the man. He was here to kill.

He stood up slowly in the witness box with his hands out in front and palms up in a non-threatening manner. As he did so Sam caught his dad's eye and slightly shook his head no as the General started to rise from the first row.

The man saw Sam's movement and yelled "Everyone stays right where they are and no talking or I'll kill you too."

Sam stilled.

The man's eyes darted around the room. There were more people in here than he had thought there would be. Damn this was not going to be as easy as he thought it would be. He needed to get all the others grouped together before he went after the bastard. He only wanted to kill one man.

He looked to the older man seated in the first row. Why was he here? It was supposed to be a closed trial with no public in attendance. Pointing the knife towards him he shouted "You, move in front of the Judge. Slow like."

The General rose slowly and complied with the demand. He was glad he was closer to Samuel. He exchanged a look with Samuel that conveyed let me handle this Dad. He nodded slightly acknowledging he would do nothing stupid and allow Samuel to take charge. After all, his son was trained for dealing with hostage situations.

Looking at Detective Jackson and the man seated next to her at the prosecutor's table, he was probably the Crown Attorney, the man said "You two. Join him." He pointed to the General.

Then he added "All three of you, down on your knees and hands on top of your heads."

Sally gasped when she saw the man. Oh my god why was he here? Her hand went to her side before she realized that she had left her gun locked up in the secure cage at security per procedure today. Darn it she would have had the upper hand if she was armed. She tried to catch Sam's eye but his gaze never left the man.

This being the case she rose with Isaac and they did as they were told. Both slowly moved to where General Braddock was now kneeling with his hands on his head. They assumed the same position.

"Now you and the Judge. Same thing" the man said pointing to the frightened clerk of the court.

Mrs. Decker rose from her chair on unsteady legs. Her hands instantly wrapped around her midsection in maternal protectiveness as she started to move to where the man wanted her to go.

The man cursed when he saw she was very pregnant. He watched her hands wrap around the child she was carrying inside her. Dammit he thought. He was putting an innocent child in danger. His eyes never left her as she tried to kneel and put her hands up like the others. He nearly ran to her as she lost her balance and fell forward catching herself on her hands. The older man disobeyed his order of hands on head as he reached out and stabilized her.

Sam observed the man closely. He seemed troubled seeing the pregnant woman. He chanced speaking to the man "Can Mrs. Decker please sit on the floor instead of kneeling? It would be safer for her unborn child."

His head whipped around to Sam then back to the woman. He ordered "Sit but put your hands on your belly where I can see them."

Mrs. Decker complied glad to be able to wrap her hands protectively around her baby inside again. This could not be happening to her; to her and her baby. This was her last trial before maternity leave. This baby was her last hope of having children of her own. They had tried so long and so hard to have a baby. Tears started to drip from her eyes.

The man turned to the defense table and motioned for Lipman to join the rest. He scurried to comply.

Sam spoke again "Can you tell me why you are here today?"

"Shut up and join them. I already told you why I'm here" the man yelled.

"I'd like to help if I can. Can you tell me your name?" Sam tried again calmly. He knew the man wanted to kill someone in this room but he was unsure who so far.

"I said with them now" the man waved the knife towards Sam.

Sam moved out of the witness box and knelt down next to Sally. He put his hands on his head like the rest of them. He knew a SRU team would be here soon and he hoped it would be Team One.

The man stalked towards the accused box where Dupont was seated. "Out" he yelled.

Detective Jackson saw the murderous intent in the man's eyes and could not stop herself "Mr. Marvin, Oliver don't. Please don't. He's not worth it."

Dupont slowly got out of the box and started towards the others when the man shouted "Stop right there." Dupont froze at both the detective's and the man's words. This man was here to kill him.

Sam looked to Detective Jackson. Her eyes met his and she mouthed slowly 'his son assaulted'.

Watching as the man approached Dupont Sam was surprised to feel conflicted. On one hand he wanted Dupont dead. But on the other he could not allow this man to kill Dupont. Not for Dupont's sake but for the man's sake. He needed to try to get the man to stop.

Taking a deep breath Sam stood back up "Mr. Marvin killing Dupont won't change the fact your son was assaulted."

Marvin was half way to Dupont when he stopped and turned to man who spoke to him. Why was this guy trying to stop him from killing the bastard?

Angrily he shouted "I said kneel. Do not interfere or you're next. He deserves to die for what he did to my son. You cannot imagine how depraved this bastard is. I will have vengeance for my son Matt."

Sam's stomach dropped at the total look of desolation on the man's face and the name of his son. He refused to kneel again and took several steps closer to the man keeping an eye on the knife. "Mr. Marvin …" Sam started.

* * *

 _ **Toronto Superior Court of Justice – Outside Courtroom 4**_

Brisa was pacing trying to decide what to do. The court room door was locked and she could not get in that way. The damned bailiff would not unlock the jury room next door so she could get into the court room that way. She stopped pacing as she saw Sergeant Parker, Ed Lane and other members of Team One ascend the last step of the stairs. She heard Parker giving instructions.

Greg was almost to the room "Sierra One are you in position?"

Jules responded "In position. The stained glass prevents a clear view of the room. Switching to infrared scope."

Ed chimed in "Let us know what you see but no shots through the stained glass. Jude if Scorpio is called you will shoot to break the glass so Jules can validate the subject before firing."

Jude and Jules both said "Copy that."

Greg nodded to the head of security as they approached the jury room. The security guard contacted the bailiff who unlocked the door and opened it. The jurors and bailiff were escorted out and down the stairs by the head of security, Chad and Kaleb. Greg, Spike and Wordy all entered the room.

When this was happening Ed noticed Brisa and strode over to her. "What are you doing here?" he asked with a hard voice.

She stammered and quaked in front of the man. The Team Leader of Team One was an intimidating man. His cold eyes were boring into her "I was on … I was supposed to be." She broke under the intense glare "Oh god this is my fault. I was supposed to be on guard duty. I went for coffee and left the door unguarded. I was gone only a few minutes."

Ed couldn't believe what he just heard. She left her post. Officers were only sent to guard trials if it was important or potentially volatile. Otherwise the normal court security guards handled it. How could they have ever thought she was SRU material?

His thoughts were interrupted when Spike called out "Patching into the court audio. We should be able to hear what is going on in that room in just a … now."

Over the headset they heard Sam's voice "Mr. Marvin like Detective Jackson said Dupont is not worth it. Please put down the knife."

They all had known Sam was in court today but they hoped he was not involved. Hearing his voice feeding useful information to them was like a knife to Ed's gut.

His eyes darkened and his glare hardened as he growled at Brisa "Get out. Get out now. You had better hope everyone comes out alive and uninjured Officer Horne."

Ed turned on his heel and strode into the room. Brisa headed for the stairs in tears. From the look on Ed Lane's face she knew she had just killed her career.

* * *

 _ **Toronto Superior Court of Justice – Jury Room**_

Ed spoke to Greg as he was trying to reel in his rage and focus on what needed to be done "Brisa Horne left the door unguarded. That is how the subject was able to get into the court room."

Greg spat out "Son of bitch."

Wordy could be heard saying softly but with venom "That bitch."

Spike's eyes widened as he tapped away on the laptop establishing a connection with the court house video feeds. They needed eyes in.

Wordy was at the adjacent door and slowly and quietly turning the lock to the court room door. He tested the knob and found they had access. The subject had not engaged the lock on the other side. "Boss we have an entry point if need be."

Ed looked at Greg "What do you want to do?"

Pulling off his hat and rubbing his head Greg let his mind race through options. Settling on one he put his hat back on and said "From the sounds of it Sam is negotiating right now. We wait and see how it goes. We need to find a way to let Sam know we are here without derailing what he is doing or setting off the subject."

Jules called over the headset "Sam will know an SRU team responded. He'll be counting on that fact."

Greg acknowledged that "You are right Jules. Wordy, Ed I want you ready to enter at a moments notice. Let's give Sam a chance to talk the man down. Spike how long until we have eyes in?"

"Two minutes Boss" Spike responded.

Frustrated Greg said "Make it one."

"On it. Just about there. Got it. Four views" Spike said.

Greg huddled with Spike, Wordy and Ed as they determined the location of the people in the room.

Ed pinched the bridge of his nose and said unsatisfied with what he saw "Damn, we can't get in without the subject seeing us. Wordy any other options on the blueprints?"

Shaking his head no Wordy said "Nothing. Only the main door and this entry."

"What about the way to the Judge's chambers" Jules asked.

"No good. They are accessed through this room not the main court room" Wordy answered.

Greg said "Then we wait."

Wordy and Ed headed to the connecting door. Wordy placed his hand on the knob prepared to open it upon Greg's signal. Ed gripped his MP5 and began sniper breathing as he waited. Negotiating was still not Sam's strong suit but he was getting a lot better at it. He hoped Sam could talk the man down.

Greg and Spike watched the video feed as they all listened to what transpired in the court room.

* * *

 _ **Toronto Superior Court of Justice – Inside Courtroom 4**_

Marvin looked at the blonde man. Why was he not listening to him? Dupont deserved to die. He was avenging Matt and saving the world from Dupont at the same time. "I have to kill him. I have no choice. He stole my son's childhood. He destroyed Matt's innocence and his future."

Sam quickly glanced at his dad. He saw the same pain in his dad's eyes. Mr. Marvin was a father in deep pain. He took in the dark circles under Marvin's eyes. Sam knew circles like those himself. The man was at his limit and had likely not slept well in ages. "Mr. Marvin your first name is Oliver right?"

The man nodded. Sam said "Oliver my name is Sam. I can see you are in pain. What Dupont did to your son Matt was horrible. But this is not the way to stop the pain. It will just bring you and Matt more pain."

Oliver turned to Sam and yelled "What do you know of pain? Are you a father? Was your son viciously attacked? Did your son try to commit suicide?"

Sam closed his eyes. Shit. This is the father of the eleven year old boy. Dupont's last boy. Sam's stomach clenched at a sickening thought and he steadied his voice as he asked "Oliver, is Matt still alive?"

Stunned by the question a tear escaped Oliver's eye and coursed down his face unheeded "If you can call it that. There is no life in his eyes. They used to shine so brightly with humor and a zest for life. They are dull now. He never speaks let alone laughs anymore. He just screams in his sleep and cries when he is awake."

A ragged sob tore from Oliver as he said despondently "Mattie won't let me hold him. He just stares at me with accusing eyes. I should have been there to protect him."

Anger surging Oliver strode closer to Dupont threatening him with the knife "This monster. This bastard did that to him. He brutally raped my boy. My sweet precious boy was violated in the most depraved way. I wasn't there I could not save my boy. But I will avenge him now. I will get justice for Matt."

Sam took several more steps towards them. His voice rose a bit in urgency "Stop! Don't!"

Oliver yelled "Why are you protecting this piece of shit. He needs to die. I am his judge and jury. He is guilty! I sentence him to death. I am his executioner! He deserves a slow tortuous death but unfortunately when I slit his throat it will be very fast and mostly painless."

Sam pleaded "Don't do this to Matt. Please don't do this to Matt."

"What the hell do you mean by that? I'm doing this for Matt!" Oliver shouted.

"If you kill Dupont he wins. You will go to prison and you will not be able to be there to help your boy rise from the ashes" Sam said in a more controlled voice.

Pain so deep etched into each word "My son wants to die. He's tried twice. There is no coming back from something that horrible. My son died when this bastard assaulted him. All that is left is a shell. Mattie is dead inside. What do you know of rising from ashes? What do you know of having your childhood wiped out and your innocence painfully stripped from you in unimaginable ways? What do you know of a father's pain? Who are you to tell me not to kill this bastard?"

Pain crossed Sam's face and his shoulders slumped slightly. So many emotions were pounding him Sam could not get his words out. He wanted Oliver not to give up on his boy. He knew the pain from the boy's perspective. He understood the pain his dad endured. It was too heartbreakingly close and his throat closed. Tears threatened to fall.

The General saw this and stood slowly. When he did not draw Oliver's ire he carefully made his way to Samuel and put his arm around Samuel's shoulders. He softly said to Samuel "You make me proud."

Sam turned to his Dad. The strength of those simple words and the warmth of the arm around him loosened the clamp on his throat. He squared his shoulders again. Turning back to Oliver he said sadly "I know all too well the pain your Matt is going through."

That got Oliver's attention. He had been in a dazed state as he ranted and the pain surged in him. Coming out of it he wondered when the older man had joined Sam. The older man had his arm protectively around Sam's shoulder. Confusion laced Oliver's voice "What do you mean?"

Hot tears would not be held back as they silently slipped down Sam's face. He swallowed hard and said "I was the first boy Dupont ever assaulted. I was eleven just like your Matt. Please don't give up hope for Matt. He needs you more now than ever before. Matt needs you to be strong for him and guide the way back. He's gonna need you always. You are his dad. Please don't do something that takes you away from him."

Sam turned his head and looked at his dad and a small sob escaped unbidden.

The General pulled him closer and said quietly "It's okay Samuel I'm here. I'll always be here for you."

General Braddock then turned to Oliver and said "I understand your pain as a father and your desire to kill Dupont. I struggled with the pain and guilt of not being able to save my boy from him too. Please listen to my son."

Oliver looked between them and saw the resemblance. His voice was cracked with emotion when he looked at Sam "You are here testifying?"

Nodding Sam cleared his throat and wiped his eyes "Yes. I wish I could have done it when I was a boy. Dupont would not have been able to hurt your son if I had the strength to say something back then. I'm sorry I wasn't able too."

Dupont had been watching with delight seeing Braddock cry and overcome with emotion. He was still so weak. Real men didn't cry. He sneered "You were such a weak little brat back then. You should have died. If only it had been one more day you would have died. Now you are all boo hoo and crying. You are still a weak little shit. Real men don't cry."

The General and Sam both turned icy glares on Dupont. Oliver looked between them. If looks could kill then Dupont would be dead one hundred times over Oliver thought.

Sam spoke with ice cold steel "Not so weak when I broke your jaw in four places. You're damned lucky to be alive. If it weren't for my Dad and family caring about me you would have been dead. You would be dead now if it wouldn't hurt Oliver and Matt more. I couldn't give a damn if you were dead on the floor right now. In fact I might even dance a jig on your grave."

Fury embedded itself in Sam's voice as he shouted "So I suggest you shut the hell up before I take the knife from Oliver and do what I really want to do and kill you myself you fucking depraved son of a bitch."

Dupont shrank back at the force and fury of those words and the look on Braddock's face. He had no doubt that Braddock could do it. He did wonder if he would do it. Thoughts of the wild enraged Sam in the physical therapy room entered Dupont's head.

The look in Braddock's eyes was as murderous then as they were now. Dupont felt true fear and looked down as he felt a warm sensation on his leg. Shit, he'd just pissed his pants.

Oliver Marvin stood transfixed by the exchange. There was a murderous rage in Sam's eyes as he spoke to Dupont. That's when it clicked for Oliver Marvin. The man before him was Sam Braddock.

It was the same man that beat the crap out of Dupont. The one who had been unjustly crucified by the press. The one who the Command-in-Chief had praised for his service to the country. The one who was awarded a Cross of Valour. Holy shit!

The man in front of him had been abused by Dupont as a boy. But his life was not over. He went on to do great things. He was a member of the SRU. Tears welled in his eyes. Maybe there was hope for his Mattie after all. Maybe the light in Matt's eyes could be restarted. Maybe he could hear his son laugh again.

Oliver waited silently to see what happened next. Would Braddock take the knife from him?

Sam gave a mirthless laugh as he saw Dupont wet his pants.

Taking a shaky breath Sam turned back to Oliver and said somewhat unsteadily "I'm sure SRU is here now. I'm sure they have been listening to us too. I'm going to ask them to come in. Oliver you are going to surrender the knife to one of the officers."

Sam did not say out loud he did not trust himself to hold the knife right now. He continued "Then you can be with Matt. You both can get the help you need to rise from the ashes like a Phoenix."

Shocked by the recent revelations, Sam's raging words to Dupont and seeing Dupont cower Oliver was speechless and could only nod his agreement.

Completely spent emotionally and teetering on the edge Sam said wearily "You can come in now. Oliver is no threat. He will surrender the knife peacefully."

Sam stood there and watched through a slow motion mist as Greg, Ed, Wordy and Spike entered the room. He felt himself floating and detaching from the present. Then nothing much registered. Sam was lost in a fog as the post adrenaline crash mixed with his raw emotional state.

Wordy went to Oliver and easily took the knife from him. He handed it off to an officer in the other room who put it in an evidence bag. Wordy returned to the room and stood back a bit from Sam and the General.

He could see Sam needed a moment. Thoughts of what Sam had described from his youth about his catatonic like state at the intersection where Sara died entered his head. Sam was stock still and staring straight ahead with eyes that were not really seeing.

Spike gently took Oliver's hands and cuffed them behind his back and led him from the room. He didn't really want to. He totally understood why the man wanted to kill Dupont but he had to follow procedure.

He handed Oliver off to a patrol officer then went and stood next to Wordy. He was proud of how Sam had handled the situation. But he was worried by his current state. He didn't acknowledge any of them.

Ed went to Dupont and cuffed him. He smirked as his saw the pissed pants. Not so tough after all he thought. Although Sam was rather frightening Ed had to admit as they had watched Sam lash out verbally at Dupont. Ed handed him off to the bailiff in the other room to put back into holding.

He joined Spike and Wordy watching Greg. Ed knew that Greg was the best person to approach Sam right now. Sam's current state reminded him of the night he had to tackle Sam and take him into Greg's home a few years ago when Sam and Jules had broken up. It had scared him then and it worried him now.

Greg came into the room and took a moment to direct Kaleb and Chad to escort the rest of the people from the room and tell them stand guard to keep everyone else out. Then he went directly to Sam. He saw the drawn weary look on Sam's face and the faraway look in his eyes. Sam looked shocky; the emotional toll of today had to be enormous.

The General saw Greg pull a chair over and gently guide Samuel to sit. He noted that Samuel did not resist and if not for Greg's hand on his elbow he would have hit the floor. General Braddock recognized the signs of post adrenaline crash and put his fingers on Samuel's neck to check his pulse. He was relieved to find it was steady but a little faster than normal.

As Sam was just starting to sit down with Greg's assistance Jules slid to a stop in the jury room. She had left the Remi in Jude's charge and ran as fast as she could to join them. Panting and trying to catch her breath she entered the room intending to go directly to Sam.

Ed reached out and stopped her. She whipped a glare on him. Ed only shook his head. Jules turned back and saw Sam was unnaturally quiet. She stilled and Ed released her.

She desperately wanted to go to him but she could see that he needed reduced stimulus. Sam needed time to process all the emotions that had besieged him. Her heart begged to go and hold him right now but she firmly stayed where she was.

The General crouched next to Sam with a hand on his back offering support. He exchanged a glance with Greg as Greg knelt down in front of Sam. Both could see that Sam was not with them. General Braddock said quietly "He needs a moment."

Greg nodded and placed a hand on Sam's knee and just waited. He watched for any sign of Sam coming back to them.

When Sam blinked slowly a few times Greg said very softly "You did good. Real good Sam. Oliver will be able to be there for Matt because of you. You connected with Oliver and protected them both."

The General mirrored the same low, soft voice as he said "I'm proud of you son. Dupont will go away for life. You did it the right way. He will not be able to hurt anymore boys."

Slowly coming out of his foggy realm Sam registered their words. He inhaled rapidly through his nose and exhaled with force through his mouth. He blinked again and looked to his Dad and then Greg as the fog lifted partially.

Sam felt strangely detached. He vaguely noticed the room was empty except for his team and Dad. When did that happen he thought?

Greg repeated "You did good Sam."

Seeing the lost look in his son's eyes the General asked "Are you okay son?"

Ignoring the question Sam abruptly stood up and turned in a full circle scanning the room. Confused he asked "Where's Oliver? What's going to happen to Oliver? Matt needs Oliver."

Greg stood up and answered "He's in custody right now. But I'll talk to the judge and put in a word for him. He didn't actually hurt anyone. He needs help not jail. I'm sure the judge will see that."

Sam looked to his dad the confusion evidenced in his eyes "Dad am I done here? I'd like to go home now if I'm done."

General Braddock did not know if the trial would resume today. But it was clear to him Samuel was in no shape to resume testimony. He was going to make sure Samuel was done. There was no need to put him through anymore stupid cross examinations.

This ended now. He refused to allow his son to be hurt anymore. General Braddock answered "You are done. You have done enough. It is over Samuel. Wait here and I'll go speak with Glover."

Sam nodded slowly barely registering what his dad said.

The General noted this and hurried to the exit to go in search of Isaac Glover. On his way out the he whispered to Samuel's teammates by the door "Go to him. He needs you all right now. I'll be back in a moment to take him home."

Ed, Wordy, Spike and Jules all came forward slowly so as to not spook Sam. Jules saw the lost and confused look in Sam's eyes as he continued to scan the room. By unspoken agreement Jules was the one to approach him this time.

Softly Jules said "Sam."

Sam turned and found Jules. He locked his eyes on hers. She approached him and gently placed one hand on his arm and took his hand in the other. "Sam I need you to sit down for me please."

He latched onto her eyes. As she guided him to the chair and he sat he did not release his lock on her eyes. As Jules stood in front of him holding his hand she moved the hand she had on his arm to his head and brushed through his hair once then she said "Everything is okay. You just need a bit of time to process all that happened. Close your eyes. We are all here. You are safe with us."

Wordy and Ed approached and each laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. Spike crouched down to the side of Sam and laid a hand on his knee as he said "Rest a moment Sam. We got ya buddy."

Greg pulled over another chair and sat next to him on the opposite side of Spike and laid his hand on Sam's knee too then said "Let's just sit for a while Sam. Take your time."

Sam felt safe and anchored. He allowed his eyes to close and he focused on his breathing. The scenario in the court room played through his head. It could have gone many different ways. Sam did not want to admit to anyone that he was fine and had been so very close to grabbing the knife and plunging it into Dupont's heart.

Dupont almost won. He had almost lost control and killed the bastard. He had almost let Dupont hurt him again. He almost let Dupont take his life from him.

If he had killed Dupont his life and everything he wanted and cared about would have been forfeited. Dupont would have won. He had been so very close it scared the hell out of him.

Sam took a shuddering breath in and held it. He felt the warm hands of his family supporting him. When he released the breath he said softly "It's over. It's really over. He cannot hurt me anymore."


	33. Weary Weeble & His Rule Book

**Weary Weeble & His Rule Book **

* * *

_**Toronto Superior Court of Justice – Inside Courtroom 4**_

General Braddock, Justice Hadebrand and Isaac Glover strode back into the courtroom about twenty minutes later. The General saw that Samuel had mostly come out of his daze but he was clearly still not fit to testify anymore. He looked like he needed a long rest.

The General was thoroughly impressed with what Samuel did in this room. Both his testimony, even though that was hard to hear, and the way he handled Oliver. He could see that Samuel was truly meant for the SRU. How Samuel was able to connect with and get Oliver to stop before he ruined his life was amazing to watch.

His heart went out to Oliver. He had been so close to doing the same thing. He truly did understand the desire to kill the bastard. It would have felt so good for a split second to know the bastard was dead. But in the long run it was not the way to handle it. Both he and Samuel knew that. It's why they pursued this painful path.

The General looked at Samuel sitting quietly in the chair as he approached. Wordy and Jules were still with him as the others went to pack up the gear they had brought in. Samuel looked so wiped out. He just wanted to hug his son and offer refuge from everything his son had endured.

Reaching Samuel he squatted down in front of his son. Gently he put a hand on Samuel's knee trying to draw his attention. When Samuel did not look up he spoke with a soft, fatherly, care worn voice "The judge agrees you are finished with all testimony. You are free to go. They are in recess for the remainder of today and will resume tomorrow with the other's testimony." Borrowing Greg's words the General added softly "You did good son. It's time to rest."

Sam looked up slowly and met his dad's eyes. He was weary, so weary. He was glad he was done. He needed a serious break. Everything that had happened since the abduction by Vlad had taken a toll on him. He had come too close to grabbing the knife and killing Dupont today. He was so FINE. Too wrung out to even nod Sam said "Okay."

Greg, Spike and Ed had returned and joined them. Greg sat in the chair next to Sam and said "Sam." He waited until Sam turned to him. "I've spoken to Jude, Chad and Kaleb. They will keep what they heard to themselves. I've gotten to know them and trust their word."

"Thanks" Sam said. One word answers were even taxing him. He needed quiet and solitude. He needed not to have to think right now.

Ed popped the cap on the energy drink he had brought for Sam. He held it out to him and said "Looks like you could use this Samo."

Sam took the drink and downed half of it then said again "Thanks."

The General stood and looked to Greg and said "Justice Hadebrand has issued an order to seal the transcript and confiscate any audio or video recordings of this call given the confidential nature of the proceedings in this court room."

Greg nodded fully agreeing "That's good to hear. I'll have Winnie and Spike take care of that."

Sam downed the second half of the drink and then stood up. He wobbled and Spike's hand grabbed his elbow and steadied him. Spike was really concerned about Sam but tried to lighten the mood for him. Laughter would be good; it would kick-start feel good endorphins. So Spike grinned at Sam and joked "Good thing you're a weeble?"

Confusion crossed not only Sam's face but everyone else's. Spike exaggerated a roll of his eyes. No one got his reference so he explained "You know … weebles. Those little toys with rounded bottoms. Weebles wobble but they don't fall down."

Despite his bone-deep weariness Sam let out a short chuckle and gave Spike a small grin. "Spike, what would I do without you?" he asked the profound fatigue evident in his voice.

Grabbing his other elbow as Sam leaned unsteadily in the opposite direction Jules quipped "You'd not be subjected to really bad jokes." Jules kept it light like Spike but she was worried. Sam looked like he could drop right here and now. They needed to get him out of here soon so he could rest.

Spike contended "What? It was funny? Right?" The guys shook their heads and hid grins "Come on, that was funny."

Wordy looked at him straight faced and taunted "Just don't quit your day job. You'd starve as a comic. Allie is funnier than you." Then he turned to Sam and said "Time for you to go get some rest buddy. Weeble or not you look like you're gonna fall over."

Sam looked at the team, his family as they surrounded him. They cared about him a lot; it was unmistakable in their words and actions. He made a decision to be honest with them how he was feeling.

He looked down at Greg and took a short breath in then said "Sarge as you know I was planning on coming back next week for light duty for two weeks. Lizzy signed off." Sam took a moment preparing to admit weakness.

"Yes" Greg said as Sam's pause stretched out.

Sam sighed wearily "But I need a break." Sam then looked directly at Ed knowing he would understand how hard it was for him to say this "I'm not in a good place right now. I need some time to get my head on straight."

Ed simply nodded once seeing the internal war Sam fought to say those words to him. He felt honored that Sam had been honest with them. The trust they had built over the years solidified in this moment.

Greg reached out and put his hand on Sam's arm "Understandable. Take the time you need. Come back when you are ready. We are here if you need us."

Turning to his dad Sam asked "Can I stay with you and Mom for a few days?"

"We'd like that Samuel. Stay as long as you want" the General replied. Seeing Sam growing even more unsteady on his feet he asked "Are you ready to go now?"

"Yeah" he answered.

Ed didn't like how unsteady Sam looked and didn't want him walking alone through the crowds that were likely to be outside. So he said to Spike and Jules "Go with him and make sure he makes it to the General's car. Then head back to the barn." They nodded.

Justice Hadebrand had observed the group and the young constable. That young man amazed him today. The composure he maintained while testifying on such a personal subject had astounded him. Then to step in and prevent an aggrieved father from making a terrible choice that saved his tormentor was beyond his own comprehension. As much a man of the law as he was he was none too sure he would not have killed Dupont himself if he was in the young man's place.

Hadebrand noted that Mr. Phoenix really didn't look so good; like he might collapse on his feet. Things were still chaotic out front. He stepped forward "If you please, I can have the bailiff take you out via the back entrance used for Judges. You'll avoid all the crowds."

The General nodded "That would be good. Spike, Jules if you go with Samuel I'll go get the car and meet you in back."

The Justice called the bailiff over and explained. He nodded and asked them to follow him. After they left the room the Justice headed to the bench to gather the files and Isaac went to the prosecutor table to do the same.

Standing in the same place Ed, Greg and Wordy looked to each and took a moment to regroup their emotions. Wordy closed his eyes and shook his head slowly and sadly. Greg removed his hat and rubbed his face. Ed pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply.

Ed said "He's messed up right now. I wish there was something we could do."

Wordy patted his shoulder "He just needs a bit of time. Sam's been through hell lately. I'm not sure how he held it together today."

Greg smiled at them.

"Why are you smiling Greg?" Ed asked puzzled and a little annoyed that Greg found something to smile about this situation.

Greg saw Ed's annoyance and understood. But the thought that crossed his mind was truly something to smile about. Greg shared his thoughts "I'm proud of him. Sam finally was completely honest with us on what he needed. He didn't try to hide it. Sam trusted us enough to tell us. He's made a great deal of progress from the rookie that joined our team."

Ed realized Greg's thoughts mirror his previous ones and yeah it was a positive one. He allowed a grin to display on his face "Our boy is growing up."

Wordy chuckled "Nah, he and Spike will be perpetual boys. But I think he might be starting to grasp that he's important too. That's a good thing."

The three headed out as Justice Hadebrand said to Glover "Mrs. Decker would like to send a small thankyou gift to Mr. Phoenix. If she gets it to you can you please forward it?"

Isaac responded "Yes. Your Honor I wanted to talk to you about Mr. Marvin. He needs help not jail. I've read the medical report on his son. It was sickening what Dupont did to that boy. It was one of his most brutal attacks. He …"

Hadebrand put up his hand to stop Isaac "Already submitted the order to move to an assessment facility. Given the circumstances I'm fairly certain that when his case is heard he will end up with mandatory counseling instead of jail time. I will be writing a letter recommending that to whoever is assigned as the Justice. Detective Jackson and Mrs. Decker also expressed a wish to write a letter on his behalf."

Isaac asked "You will likely get letters from Mr. Phoenix and his father too."

Hadebrand chuckled "Great name for him. I expect we will see at least five more letters too from that SRU team." They both laughed as they headed out of the courtroom.

* * *

 _ **Police Substation Near Toronto Superior Court of Justice – Holding Cells**_

The officer escorted Mr. Marvin to the cell and was about to put him with the general population. His Sergeant stopped him "Marvin goes in the cell alone per Justice Hadebrand's instructions. Put him in the one next to the main. He will be transferred soon."

Oliver stepped into the empty cell. The officer uncuffed him and he sat down on the bench along the shared wall with the other cell. He hung his head. He had screwed up so badly trying to get revenge for Matt.

He leaned his back against the wall and closed his eyes as the officers left the cell area. From jail he would not be there for Matt when he needed him most. God dammit, he wished he had thought this out more rather than being blinded by his need to kill the man who hurt Matt.

His internal musings were interrupted when the cell opened and a very large, very mean looking prisoner was put in the cell with him. The face was written with tough career criminal Oliver thought. He quaked a bit. Ah hell he'd never survive prison. He'd end up being someone's bitch in less than a day if not dead.

Oliver hung his head and sobbed "I'm so sorry Mattie. I wanted revenge for you but I screwed up."

Sigurd Varsson entered the cell and stood while uncuffed. He pushed back his long white blonde hair as he looked at his cell mate with ice gray eyes. He sized him up in one second 'fresh meat'. He heard the man sob and sauntered over to the bench.

Sitting down Sigurd watched the man closely. He was pretty good at sizing up men. You had to be to survive or like he did thrive in prison. He was currently serving five years on charges his lawyer was not able to get dismissed. Most charges just evaporated. Not once had a single murder charge stuck. It was because he was always so very careful to never leave evidence. No witness, no cameras, nothing to connect him. He was good.

He leaned back on the bars. The only reason this charge stuck was because he had been distracted and emotional. He didn't do his normal vigilance and the damned video camera caught him beating the crap out of the guy that dared make his little girl cry. It was one his one weak spot that could make him get sloppy, his kids. No one got away with hurting his kids.

Sigurd cleared his throat "What you in for?"

Oliver lifted his head not sure if the man spoke to him. To his dismay the man was staring at him with icy gray eyes that scared the crap out of him. Oliver stammered out weakly "Tried to kill the bastard that sexually assaulted my boy."

Sigurd's eyebrow rose "Tried?"

"Yeah tried. That bastard Dupont is still breathing. I wanted revenge for my Mattie. Hell for all twenty seven of that bastard's victims" Oliver said. "But one of his victims talked me out of it. Said if I did it, I wouldn't be able to be there when Matt needed me the most."

"Dupont? That the guy in the news a while back? The one that was beat up by that cop" Sigurd asked.

Oliver nodded "Yeah. Wish the cop had killed him then I wouldn't be here. They should give the cop a medal for breaking the bastard's jaw."

Sigurd was intrigued and asked "So this Dupont, he hurt your kid bad?"

Fresh tears welled and then spilled down Oliver's face "He's only eleven. That bastard did things to him … oh god … Mattie's tried to kill himself twice now." Sobbing overtook him and he could say no more.

Watching the man breakdown in front of him he felt for the man. Even the most hardened killer like himself didn't touch kids. Kids were innocents. You did not harm a kid in his rule book.

This man had tried but failed to get vengeance for his son. The fact that he tried gave the man cred as far as he was concerned. If he ended up in his prison block he would offer his protection no strings attached.

An evil grin played on Sigurd's face. Now if Dupont landed in his prison block that would be a whole different story. His rule book had many, many ways of dealing with men who harmed kids. None of them pleasant. He would exact revenge for this man if given a chance however unlikely it would be.

Three guards rushed toward the cell and Sigurd heard one berate another "Marvin was supposed to be kept alone dammit. How could you put the likes of Varsson in with him? If he's harmed in any way you are gonna be on suspension."


	34. Gone Fishin' & Nightmare Begins

_**AN:**_ _This chapter is a stark contrast of the light and dark sides of human nature._

 _ **BE WARNED: The Prison section is VERY DARK and uses a lot of foul and coarse language one would hear in a prison and well let's just say the title is descriptive – nightmare.**_ _Those that wanted Dupont's death may actually feel sorry for him. Kinda scary how my mind came up with something so dark. I let my adult son read that section and he said 'Mom I'd didn't even know you knew words like that'._ _ **If you are not into dark threats of a physical and sexual nature then please skip that section**_ _._

* * *

 **Gone Fishin' & Nightmare Begins**

* * *

 _ **One Week Later – Ridgewater Chalet near Lake Louise, Alberta**_

General Braddock sat with Yvonne in the main room and looked out at Samuel sitting on the deck. "How does he seem to you Yvonne?"

She gave William a soft smile "Introspective. Give him time. He really needed this rest. It was all too much. Too, too much. He's been pushing and pushing for years now. The only down time he ever had in the Army or SRU is when he is recovering from an injury. I'm glad he is taking this time for himself. To rest and rejuvenate."

Yvonne stood up "Would you like a refill of coffee dear?"

William stood and grinned "No thank you sweetheart. I'm gonna go see if Samuel wants to go fishing. We've talked about going the past week but never made it. About time to make that happen."

Yvonne smiled to herself as she walked to the kitchen. She was extremely proud of William. He had made time to take a break and be here for Sam. It was tough for the General in him to hand over control. It was a good thing he trusted Colonel Sutton to handle whatever might come up. Sam and William needed this time together as much as Sam needed the solitude they afforded him in the past week.

Sam had taken an open ended leave from SRU. She was glad that Norm and Sam's direct boss Mr. Parker had agreed it was in his best interest. Sam did not have a time constraint put on him. If it took him a week to sort things out then that is what it would take. If it took him several months then that was okay too. His spot on Team One would be waiting for him when he was ready.

Bella had been kind enough to allow them to stay at her place. It was good for Sam to get away from both Ottawa and Toronto. He always did so much better in open wild places. The beauty of this place could soothe his soul and help him regain his balance.

As she poured coffee she heard the door open and the two of them getting the fishing tackle. That put another smile on her face. Her two favorite men in the world had finally come to terms as father and son. What a bright future it would be. Now if only Sammy would get moving in the direction of that beautiful Jules.

She would not push but she so much wanted them to be together. Yvonne wanted that for both for them and a little selfishly for her too. Her twin sister already had two grandbabies and she sure would love to see the children Sam and Jules would create.

Yvonne's eyes got misty as she imagined a little girl with Sam's hair and Jules's eyes or a little blonde headed boy with blue eyes. She hoped that Jules carried a recessive blue eyed gene otherwise all the babies would have brown eyes. Ah that would be just fine she thought as she started humming to herself as she watched William and Sam walk towards the lake.

* * *

 _ **Lake Louise**_

Sam kicked back feeling the warmth of the sun on his face as the pole lay unheeded next to him. The grassy bank he was laying on was soft and cool. He heard the wind in the trees and watched as they swayed slightly. The deep blue sky was dotted with puffy white clouds. It was a perfect day to laze about the lake.

Fishing like this with is dad had been a boyhood dream. It wasn't until his dad started relating stories of when Sam was very young did the memories start to come back. So many memories flooded back. Good memories that made him smile. So many things he had buried when Sara died.

Part of him wanted to feel sad for all the years they lost. But a greater part was simply grateful that their relationship had been reestablished and they had a future. They had a future to do things and enjoy being together. Things like just sitting on the bank of a lake together in the sun with a beer and a line in the water.

They didn't need to talk. Actually it was better sometimes when they didn't talk. They seemed to communicate better that way. Words tended to get in the way and misconstrued between them. But maybe that was the past too. Maybe moving forward they had come to a true understanding and words would be less fractious for them. They were learning a new way to be together without friction.

William looked at his son. The lines of tension had eased almost completely. The dark circles under his eyes were improving too. The past few nights he did not hear his son wake to a nightmare. Those nightmares usually consisted of Samuel killing Dupont and then him being locked in a hole alone for the rest of his life.

It had been hard to hear Samuel relate them but he felt relieved that he trusted him enough to open up to him about them and to let him try to help. Mostly he just listened. A little trick he picked up from Yvonne, Jules and Dawn when dealing with Samuel.

The content of the nightmares had surprised him at first. He thought they would be about the assault. But knowing his son even the thought he could be driven to murder would haunt him and it was.

But luckily it seemed to be getting better. As Samuel would say he was getting his head on straight. It just took him time to process and deal with it all.

The nightmares Samuel experienced made him realize just how much control Samuel had exerted in that court room. Just how close he was to taking the knife from Oliver and killing Dupont. He was glad Samuel had found the control. The repercussions if he had not were too hard to contemplate.

The immense pride he already felt for his son increased. He hoped that as the past healed that Samuel's future would be full of happiness. He knew there would be trying times. His son's chosen work with the SRU would ensure that. But he truly hoped the good would outweigh the bad.

Sam turned his head and looked at his dad "So what's for dinner if we don't catch anything."

William laughed "I believe your mom has some nice steaks marinating."

Sam liked the sound of his dad's laugh. It was rarely heard. His dad looked more relaxed than he had ever seen. He was glad he asked them to come with him to Bella's place. Sam smiled as he said "If they are marinating then she had little expectation we would be bringing back fish."

"Yep. She always seems to know exactly what's needed" William said with a smile.

Switching his gaze to the clouds again Sam said wistfully "Kinda like Jules. She always seems to know just what I need. How to help."

Turning to look at his son William grinned "She's a keeper Samuel. Have you given any thought to when or how you are going to ask her to marry you?"

Sighing Sam answered "I think about it a lot. I just need … I just want … It needs to be right. Jules deserves for it to be right. It's all secret now. It's okay for dating but …."

Sam went quiet and didn't complete his thought.

William finished for him "But not for an engagement. That's something you would want everyone at SRU to be able to know about and share in. You want it to be open and honest. It's something you want to celebrate with your SRU family. Not something to hide."

"Yeah" Sam sighed wondering when his dad got so good at reading his thoughts. And he said SRU family. Wow. He understood completely.

"The right time will come son. Just use your sniper patience to wait it out. Enjoy what you have now with her" William said.

Sam sat up "I wish she could be here now. But it would look strange and cause questions if she took vacation right now."

William reached out and ruffled Samuel's hair as if he was five. In fact if he squinted in the sun he could just imagine Sammy when he was five and they sat on a bank similar to this one enjoying an afternoon fishing together. But back then Samuel was not wishing for a girl. He remembered clearly Sammy say "Thank goodness there are no girl cooties here." The thought made him laugh.

Sam glanced at his dad "What's so funny?"

Shaking his head and grinning William related the memory. Then he shared a few others. The two of them were laughing at each memory shared. After he shared the last one William leaned back and looked at the clouds. He was simply enjoying the time with his son.

William watched the puffy clouds and said "Hey that one there looks like a Remi."

Sam followed his dad's directions and responded "Yeah it does. Hey you want to shoot a round of golf?"

"We don't have any golf clubs with us. But I guess we could rent some" William answered wondering when his son had learned to play golf.

Sam laughed "We don't need clubs for the round of golf I have in mind. You brought your Remi, right?"

Looking confused William answered "Yes. I brought both yours and mine with us in case you wanted to go to a range."

"Good" Sam replied and then explained Ed's version of golf.

They stood and packed up the fishing tackle and as they started to hike back Sam said "Steak for dinner then?"

"Looks that way. Your mom always knows. We have time for that round of golf before dinner though. Sounds like fun son. Maybe after dinner we could play a game or two of chess" William said as he slung his arm around his son's shoulders.

Stopping and looking at his dad Sam saw the joy in his father's eyes. It made him smile. He thought about what his dad liked to do and answered "Sounds fun. What language do you want to speak tonight?"

William thought a moment and then suggested "How about we round robin it?"

"What's that?" Sam asked.

"It's something I used to do with Dominque. The first person speaks one language then other answers in a different language. Then the first responds in yet a different one, and on and on. Round robin so to speak. It's quite effective to throw off anyone listening. But we did it mostly because we both enjoyed languages and didn't get much opportunity to speak the ones we knew."

"Cool. I'm game. But I'm a bit rusty on most though. Not too much use for Latin and such with SRU" Sam remarked.

William grinned. They were sharing things each other liked. Life was good. No life was great. He responded "Well we will both brush up then. It's been quite some time for me too. Not since I last spoke to Dom a few years ago when he helped with Baxter-Hayes."

Sam slung his arm over his dad's shoulder too and they both smiled. They started walking back to the chalet in the bright afternoon sun each with an arm over the other's shoulder and an identical lopsided grin plastered on their faces.

* * *

 _ **Same Day –** **Toronto East Detention Centre, Maximum Security Cell Block A**_

Dupont shuffled forward along the long hallway. It was hard to walk shackled by the feet and hands. He was still reeling that he was actually found guilty on all twenty-seven counts of sexual assault, molestation, abuse and misconduct with minors under the age of thirteen. The sentencing hearing had further shocked him.

First it shocked him how fast it all occurred. Secondly, instead of serving the convictions concurrently the judge ruled they were to be served sequentially. It meant that barring any successful appeal he would never see another day outside of prison. The rest of his days were going to be spent in this hell hole.

His lawyer had smirked when he asked if he would represent him on appeal. The man actually smirked. He told him the only reason he represented him was it was his job. He had done his best so that no mistrial could be called. But then he told him that he hoped he rotted in jail. That bastards like him were not fit to walk the earth and if it were up to him he would have let Oliver Marvin slit his throat.

He never saw that coming. He thought the man was on his side. Lipman had completely snowed him. He had the worse luck with lawyers. He seethed as he walked the corridor to his new home. He would find a way to get out and make Braddock pay. This was all the fault of that little brat.

"Stop" the guard said.

Dupont stopped and looked at his cell. It appeared he was going to have a roommate. It would be important to establish dominance early on if he was going to survive. He had it planned out. He would state that he was in for attempted murder of a police officer. That would give him more cred and power.

The guard uncuffed Dupont then said "Open cell A14." The locking mechanism released. The guard lightly pushed Dupont into his cell. "Dupont you got five minutes to get acquainted with your new mate before lights out."

Dupont stopped and looked at the man in the cell. The man brushed back his long white blonde hair and smiled. The door closed and the guard said "Night Varsson. Play nice with your new friend."

Then the guard turned and a smile played on his mouth as he walked away. He began whistling as the cell block door closed behind him. His old Special Forces buddy Dom had pulled some strings to get Dupont assigned to this cell block. He wasn't sure why but Dom always had his reasons.

Sigurd stood up and towered over Dupont. "What you in for?" he drawled.

Dupont pulled himself upright and squared his shoulders "Attempted murder of a pig. You?"

Nodding Sigurd said "Hmmm. Me just simple assault. I beat the crap out of a guy that accidentally knocked my little girl down and made her cry."

Dupont smirked he would be the one in power here regardless of how big this guy was. "Which bunk is yours?"

"Top" Sigurd answered nonchalantly sizing up the man.

"It's mine now" Dupont asserted and moved intending on pushing passed Sigurd.

Before Dupont knew what happened he was up against the wall. He had been flipped around so he was face first against the wall and his arms wrenched painfully up his back. His feet were knocked wide and his cell mate was breathing hot on the back of his neck as his body pushed hard against him.

Sigurd used his deadly low voice "I think not you putrid piece of shit. You're my slave until I hand you off to my successor. You're mine for five years. You are such a low piece of scum you don't even rate high enough to be my bitch. There is a special place in hell for depraved pedophiles. Welcome to hell."

Pushing hard and scraping Dupont's face against the wall Sigurd continued "You will not move, speak, eat, sleep, drink, piss or crap without my permission. Although I'm not into men I will allow you to be used for favors and just for shits and giggles too. Better get used to bending over and being on your knees."

He released Dupont and stepped back "Do I make myself clear?"

Dupont yelled "You don't scare me. You are only in here for assault."

The evil smile played on Sigurd's face in the same low tone he said "Only thing they caught me on. If you don't do exactly what I say you will be number fifty six. I so like even numbers. Don't you? No I guess not. You stopped at twenty-seven boys didn't you." He cracked his knuckles. "Your neck would fit nicely in these hands I think."

Sigurd shook his head then "Nah, that would be too easy for you. Now strip. At lights out cocksucking slaves don't get to wear clothes. Slaves don't deserve clothes."

Dupont stared at the man. "You're fucking crazy if you think I'm going to strip." Dupont never saw the punch to the jaw and landed him on the floor.

"Now get up and strip slave" Sigurd uttered in his low voice.

Getting to his knees and rubbing his sore jaw that was still mending Dupont looked at the insane cell mate. Gaining his feet he squared his shoulders and put up his fists. He was not going down without fighting.

"I see my slave boy needs to be taught a lesson in obedience" Sigurd drawled out slowly.

"I ain't your fucking slave" Dupont spat.

Sigurd laughed "You really think you have a choice you fucking degenerate pervert who likes to hurt boys. You got your jollies hurting someone smaller than you. Welcome to your own fucking hell. Every single day you will know what it was like to be one of your boys as you sickeningly called them. This is for Matt and every other unnamed boy you stuck your limp little dick in."

Dupont was slammed up against the wall. He bent over in pain as Sigurd's foot slammed into his groin. He dropped to his knees in pain panting and groaning. Sigurd pulled him up and held him with one hand while the other slammed repeatedly into his stomach. After a dozen punches he let Dupont drop to the floor.

"Now I said strip BOY" Sigurd demanded as he sat on the lower bunk watching the quivering mass on the floor.

With shaking hands Dupont started undoing the Velcro of his prison uniform. He undressed to his boxers and stood shivering in the corner. He watched the man with icy gray eyes carefully.

Sigurd stood up and brushed his long hair back. He grabbed Dupont's arm and read the tattoo. He laughed again "Power equals Respect. Well I guess you're gonna respect me then. I hold _ALL_ the power. You are nothing. You are less than nothing. You are worthless. No one cares if you live or die. No one will come to your aid. You are mine to do with as I please."

Dropping Dupont's arm he stepped back "I said strip slave boy. I did not say you could keep your boxers on."

Dupont eyed the man not wanting to comply. He was wondering if he yelled for the guard if he would come. He dropped to his knees again in severe pain as Sigurd's foot connected with his groin again.

Leaning his back on the bars Sigurd said calmly "Strip. Last time I ask nicely."

That was nicely is what went through Dupont's head as he carefully eased his underwear off. He was completely naked and felt totally vulnerable. His groin, jaw and stomach all hurt. He curled into a ball in the corner trying to become invisible.

"Stand up boy" Sigurd ordered.

Dupont complied not wanting to get kicked in the balls again. Life was going to be hellacious from now on he figured.

"Spread eagle in the center of the room. I need to see what kind of shape my slave boy is in" Sigurd ordered quietly.

Shaking Dupont did as he was told. He stood with is feet spread wide and arms out and above his head. Dupont wondered just how bad it was going to get. The guy was not loud, he was very quiet, deathly quiet and that scared him even more than someone who yelled. This guy was deadly and he knew it.

Sigurd walked around Dupont making disparaging remarks about his body and telling him he was worthless. He belittled everything he could think of including the stupid wolf tattoo on his hip. Then he had Dupont bend over and grab his knees. Sigurd almost did not suppress his smile when he saw Dupont blanch in fear.

He made Dupont stay in that position for over an hour as he loomed behind him. Occasionally he would make noises opening and closing his pants or lightly touch the man's ass or hip just to see the man quiver with fear. He talked about how much fun the others would have taking him over and over. All the things he would have to do for others in very descriptive terms. After a while he sat on the bed and just stared at a quivering Dupont.

Sigurd laid back with is head on his arms crossed behind his head. "You don't sleep tonight boy. Go stand against the wall facing me hands on top of your head and do not move an inch. Do not think about moving without my permission or big bubba will be the first one to take you tomorrow. He ain't so nice, likes it rough and hard and he's as big as a summer sausage. He's been wanting a virgin for a while now."

Smiling evilly Sigurd said "I might still let him be first if he makes it worth my while. The auction for your ass is gonna earn me a lot. You will do everything anyone tells you to do. You know some of the guys have very peculiar tastes too. Some are into causing lots of pain to get their jollies. If you don't lick, suck, swallow or fuck as you are told you will pay dearly. There are ways to make you hurt and wish you were dead that the guards will never see."

Sitting up Sigurd stretched and said "I wouldn't go looking for any help from the guards either. You talk you pay in pain. Even if you get moved I know people in every block."

Sigurd laughed then "Hell some guards might even want to help or at least turn their heads if they did see anything because you like to hurt little boys. And that is just sick and depraved. You will pay for the rest of your sorry assed life for defiling those boys. You will never be alone so you will not be able to escape via suicide. I'm going to make sure you live a very long time and pay every single day."

Dupont looked at him with eyes full of abject fear as piss piddled down his legs.

Quiet but deadly Sigurd said "I didn't give you permission to piss you scum sucking pervert" then he kicked Dupont in the groin again. He watched Dupont drop to the floor "Stay there and don't move now."

Lying naked in a fetal position on the cold urine soaked floor Dupont began to cry quietly. His life was a nightmare now, a living nightmare with no end.


	35. Potluck, Paying a Debt & Helping Matt

**Potluck, Paying a Debt & Helping Matt**

* * *

 _ **Three Weeks Later – Jules's Home**_

Laughter filled Jules's family room and kitchen. All of Team One and their families had congregated at Jules's home to welcome Sam back to Toronto. It was a potluck and there was so much food even Sam would be able to fill up.

Greg and Ed stood off to one side and watched Sam and Spike wrestling on the floor like boys with their boys Dean and Clark. Ed said "It's good to see him so rested."

"Yeah it is. Got the psych eval from Dr. Tansy and she cleared him for duty. How'd he do on the physical and gun requals?" Greg asked sipping his soda.

Ed laughed "You have to ask?"

"So perfect scores" Greg smiled.

Nodding Ed added "Yeah. Actually improved on his long range shots if you can believe that."

Hearing Ed Sam called out "That would be from all the instruction from my dad. You know Ed he's still got a few things to teach me. He loved shooting golf."

Ed's eyebrow rose "The General shot golf with you?"

Extracting himself from a headlock by Dean, Sam stood up and said "Gang up on Spike now. I'm gonna go talk to your dads."

Dean and Clark did just that to the splutters and calls from Spike of "You'd never make a good Marine Sam. You don't leave a man behind. Thought you had my six."

Sam laughed "Good thing you're SRU. Talk your way out of it Spike."

Grabbing a cold beer from the cooler Sam joined Greg and Ed watching Spike teach Dean and Clark that he was more than just a computer geek as he easily fended off two. The tide quickly shifted as Wordy sent his girls with instructions to help Uncle Spike but they decided to join forces with Dean and Clark instead.

Wordy joined the three men watching and he chuckled as Spike ended up on the floor buried under giggling girls and Dean and Clark stood back watching. So enthralled they all were watching the scene in front of them they forgot the topic of conversation until Jules joined them and asked "So you shot golf with the General."

Sam took one of the cookies that were on her plate and bit off a piece before he answered "Yeah. It was fun. Although we had our Remis with us we had to head into town and get some golf balls and string. We ended up at a range instead of shooting in the woods."

"The operator was nice enough to let us set them up at various distances. We gathered quite a crowd watching us. Man my dad still has the eyes for it. Bested me in five out of eleven rounds we shot" Sam said and then finished off the cookie in two bites.

Jules handed him another one and he smiled.

Ed asked "Did you do anything else special?"

Sam answered "A few things. I spent two weeks at Bella's chalet with my parents. Nice to have some time just to be with them. Last two weeks I made the rounds to my cousins, Blaze, Winds and Mason. Adam has some beautiful trails to ride in his current location."

Wordy asked "Where is he stationed now?"

"Cold Lake in Alberta. We took in the air show when I was there. Had a great two days" Sam answered. "You won't believe who I had lunch with last week."

"Who?" Greg asked.

Grinning Sam said "Leo Patel. Seems he's good friends with Isaac Glover."

Jules responded "Leo. Really? Wow. How is he doing?"

Stealing Jules's last cookie and taking a bite he said "He's doing great. He's a writer now. He's published a couple of books on military fiction. Apparently he's pretty popular in that genera and his publisher had contracted for four more books."

"It was nice to see that he was able to transition so well and find work that gives him pleasure. The outreach and transition program Colonel Sutton and Angus are spearheading for injured Special Forces members is doing some good work. They're looking to expand to general soldiers too."

Spike had gotten away from the kids and heard what Sam shared and asked "He's blind, what technology is he using for writing?"

"He's using a speech to text program and a braille keyboard. He has an assistant that reads back to him what he wrote. I met her. Nice lady. I think though that she wants to be more than his assistant given the way she was looking at Leo" Sam replied.

Spike quipped "Hope he's not too blind to notice."

Everyone groaned at Spike's bad pun and Jules jabbed his arm.

"What? Come on. That was kinda funny" Spike defended as he rubbed his arm and slowly moved away from Jules eyeing her like she might jab him again.

Wordy changed the subject "So you passed all your requals. Have you given any thought to when you're coming back. No pressure. We just miss you Sam. Team's not the same without you."

Sam wasn't quite sure how to answer Wordy. He had done his requals so there would be no impediment when he was ready to return. But there were still a few things he needed to do before he felt he was ready to return.

So he answered "A few things I need to take care of first. Depends on how it goes. But I'll be back soon that is for sure. I miss being out there with you all too."

Ed clapped him on the back "Good. Just let Greg and I know when you're ready."

Sam grinned then looked at Jules "Anymore cookies?"

Jules laughed "In the kitchen cookie monster."

Wordy, Spike, Greg, Ed and Jules watched with pleasure as they saw a lighthearted lopsided grin appear on Sam's face as he turned and headed for the kitchen. Each had had their own worries about him returning. He had been so wrung out that day in the courtroom. They had feared that it had been too much for him and he would not return to SRU.

Their hearts soared at seeing him so rested and his comment that he would return. They did wonder what else he needed to do but none would pry. If he choose to share that would be okay. If not that was okay too.

* * *

 _ **Two Days Later – Extended Care Facility in Ottawa**_

Sam and Lizzy walked the hall to room 438. He knocked on the door softly. When his rap was answered with "Come in" he opened the door.

He walked to the bed and leaned down placing a light kiss on her cheek. He stood up and said "How are you feeling today Dawn?"

Dawn gazed up at her favorite patient. Her good friend really. She smiled "Doing okay. How are you doing?"

"Doing good. I brought a friend with me today. Dawn this is Elizabeth Wilder. Lizzy this is Dawn Tansy" Sam said.

The women shook hands and Dawn said "Elizabeth it's a pleasure to meet a friend of Sam's."

Lizzy said "Please call me Lizzy. And Sam it is Blain now."

Sam grinned "Sorry still so new. I won't mess up again." At the slightly curious expression on Dawn's face he explained "Lizzy married Blaze several weeks ago."

Dawn smiled brightly "Congratulations. He's quite a man."

Lizzy was about to thank her and agree but Sam spoke first "Lizzy here is quite a woman. I asked her to come with me for a reason."

Dawn's eyebrows shot up "And that would be?"

"Lizzy is the best physical therapist I know. She normally works with soldiers but she has agreed to work with you. Help you get back on your feet. I know how much you want to get back to your practice. And people need you" Sam explained.

"Sam you didn't have to do that" Dawn said stunned.

He gave her a lopsided grin "Yeah I did. After I met the physical therapist you have here. Can't believe he actually has a degree. Even I know he was full of crap when he said you would never walk normally again. You deserve better Dawn."

Lizzy chimed in "Dawn I've reviewed all your medical records. Sam's right. There is no reason you should not get full function back. It will take some work but if you are up for a challenge then it is possible."

Dawn looked between them. Then she smiled at Sam "Thank you from the bottom of my heart Sam. You have no idea how much this means to me." Tears of happiness pooled in her eyes.

Sam took her hand in one hand and grabbed a tissue with the other. He gave her the tissue and she wiped her eyes as he said "Yeah I do. Getting back to normal is important."

Dawn nodded "Yeah I guess you do know with everything you've been though. Thank you."

Sam squeezed her hand "I'm the one that should be thanking you. Guess this is one way for me to show you how much I appreciate what you've done for these past years. And especially these past few weeks. Without your help I don't think I would have been able to get through the Vlad, Dupont and Oliver and Matt issues."

Letting go of her hand he said "Speaking of Oliver and Matt. I have a favor to ask."

"Ask away" Dawn replied wiping the remaining wetness from her eyes.

Sam responded "Oliver and his son Matt have been transferred to a private family oriented treatment facility in Ottawa. I was hoping that you would consider working with them."

Taking out a card and handing it to her Sam continued "This is the contact number for the facility. Dr. Irene Corbo is currently working with them but when I spoke to her she said she would be happy for either consulting with you or you taking over their care. I'll cover the fees. Like we spoke about, doing something to help them is helping me with my feelings of guilt over not saying something that would have stopped Dupont sooner."

Dawn took the card "Of course I'll call. I'll speak with Dr. Corbo and see what will work best for Oliver and Matt."

"Thanks Dawn. You're the best" Sam said. He then headed for the door "I'll just leave you with the Ice Queen so she can do your initial assessment."

Turning to Lizzy Sam said "When do you want me back?"

Lizzy answered "Give us an hour."

"Will do. I'll just go check the ice making capacity of the facility and then grab a coffee" Sam said with a huge grin and left the room.

Dawn turned to Lizzy and said quizzically "Ice Queen? Ice capacity?"

Lizzy laughed "Um, it's a well-earned nick name. You did say you were up for a challenge."

Dawn bit her lip "Oh my, what did I really sign up for?"

Grinning Lizzy answered "Walking normally again. Now let's get started."

* * *

 _ **Four Days Later – Private Family Treatment Facility in Ottawa**_ _ **–**_ _ **Just Outside the Elevator**_

Stepping off the elevator Sam took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Dawn had spoken with Dr. Irene Corbo yesterday. They had decided that Dawn would be a consultant on the case and allow Dr. Corbo to handle the daily treatment. Once Dawn was able she would come and visit personally with both Matt and Oliver then the two of them would make any adjustments to the treatment plan.

Lizzy said it would be about three weeks before Dawn was mobile enough to begin making visits. It would probably take another six to eight weeks before Dawn reached her goal. Sam smiled a little thinking about how Dawn had relayed that indeed Lizzy had very much earned her nickname the Ice Queen.

Sam would have gladly picked up Lizzy's fees for Dawn's treatment but the fees were covered by insurance. He owed Dawn more then he could ever repay. That she had willingly worked with him while she was recovering had saved his mind. She had also met a few times with both Spike and Jules. That had helped both of them immensely too.

Spike no longer had nightmares. A fact everyone was very happy about. Spike had confided in him that Dawn had also helped him come to terms with his issues regarding his father.

Sam and Spike also had a long conversation facilitated by Dawn about what happened with Vlad. It was hard and painful for both of them. They shared with each other their feelings regarding what happened to each of them. That conversation had further solidified their brotherhood bond.

Jules had worked with Dawn regarding both Logan and reconnecting with her family. Sam was glad to see Jules back to herself. Her confidence fully restored.

As for her brothers, Sam supported her decision to hold off reconnecting with them. It was a tough decision for her but Jules would know when the time was right. If it ever was right. He hoped that she would one day be able to reconnect with them.

Sam adjusted his grasp on the bag in his left hand. He was delaying standing here. This was going to be tough. But it was necessary. Sam slowly walked down the hall.

He stopped at the door and looked in through the small window. His breath caught in his throat when he saw the young boy sitting on the bed. One more deep breath and he opened the door. He was expected so didn't bother to knock.

* * *

 _ **Private Family Treatment Facility in Ottawa**_ _ **–**_ _ **Matt's Room**_

Entering the room Sam saw Oliver sitting at a small round table with a woman. Behind the table was a large mirror. He suspected there was an observation room behind it. Especially since there was a door next to it.

The woman rose and came to him "Hello I'm Dr. Irene Corbo. You must be Sam."

Sam shook her hand "Yes." He was only known to them as Sam. He withheld his last name for privacy. Although he was sure they knew who he was after that whole media debacle after he beat the crap out of Dupont.

Dr. Corbo said "You have met Oliver."

Oliver rose and came forward to shake Sam's hand saying "Yes. Yes we have. Thank you for saving me that day."

Glancing at over at his son and then back to Sam, Oliver sincerely said "What you did made me realize where I really needed to be. If you had not shared with me I would have done something I regretted. I would not be here for Matt now when he needs me most."

Sam responded "I'm glad I was there and able to help you. Like I said I wish I could have said something when I was a child and it might have spared Matt."

Oliver shook his head "No don't say that. You were just a boy. You coped in a way you could. I harbor no ill thoughts about you not saying anything as a boy. None at all. The only one responsible is Dupont. It is him and him alone that bears all responsibility."

Dr. Corbo softly cleared he throat "Sam are you ready to meet Matt?"

Sam nodded. She walked over to Matt who sat this entire time on the bed seemingly lost in his own world. She sat on the bed next to him and softly said "Matt. Matt someone is here to meet you."

The young boy slowly raised his head to look at the doctor. She smiled at him "Remember I said someone would be here to meet you today?"

Matt nodded twice but remained silent.

Dr. Corbo said "He's here now. I'm going to have him come over here now. Okay?"

He nodded twice again.

The doctor motioned for Sam to come forward. He stopped at the bed. He was towering over the boy. Sam didn't think that would be best for meeting the boy because Dupont would do that to intimidate him when he was eleven. Dupont probably did it to this boy too.

Sam lowered himself to the floor and sat cross-legged on the floor. His head was slightly lower than Matt's now. His position was non-threatening.

"Matt this is Sam. Sam this is Matt" Dr. Corbo introduced them and waited for Matt to acknowledge that Sam was there.

It was a long wait. Sam sat silent waiting for Matt to make the first move. Finally after ten minutes Matt turned his head and looked at Sam sitting on the floor. Matt still didn't say anything and started to pick at the bedcovers as his eyes were downcast not maintaining contact with Sam.

"Matt Sam knows what you went through. He went through much the same thing you did when he was eleven" Dr. Corbo shared.

She had been surprised when Dawn had said Dupont's very first victim wanted to visit Matt. She knew what the man had done for Oliver in the courtroom. Oliver had spent hours in their therapy sessions discussing it. Oliver felt he owed his life to the man named Sam. Irene agreed.

So Irene agreed for him to visit and Sam had contacted her to arrange the time. When he entered the room just now she had been surprised again. Irene knew exactly who he was.

All those news reports showing his face a while ago after Dupont's jaw was busted had made sure she knew who he was. It amazed her that after the brutal type of abuse Dupont was capable of that this man had gone on to become such a decorated soldier and a valued member of SRU.

After all that coverage his face was widely recognized. So she definitely knew who he was. But even after all that media attention the public didn't know he was abused by Dupont. She planned to kept it that way. She would fiercely guard and maintain his privacy.

Continuing Dr. Corbo said "If you want to you can talk to him about what happened. He wants to help you get through this like he did. Your dad and I will be right outside the room. If you need us just call out and we will be right back in. Do you understand?"

Matt nodded twice. "Okay. I'll be right outside. You will be safe with Sam." Matt nodded twice again as he finally looked at Sam again.

The door to the observation room softly closed and Sam and Matt were alone.

Sam looked into the boy's green eyes. So much like his Matt's eyes. Other than that they looked nothing alike. But those eyes were the same shade of green.

Quietly Sam said "I had a best friend named Matt. He helped me through a lot of bad things. He helped me find the beauty of life many times after bad things happened to me. Things that made me want to die or to kill myself."

Sam sat silently for many minutes letting the boy think on his words. He didn't expect a response. "I brought you a few things."

Reaching into the bag Sam withdrew a green MP3 player. It was a duplicate of his but was new and had bright green earbuds attached to it. Sam had asked Dr. Corbo to find out what Matt's favorite color was, it was green.

Sam placed the MP3 player on the bed next to Matt "My friend Matt made me a playlist of a lot of different kinds of music. He told me music was a path to my heart and soul and that it could help me deal with my emotions and help me heal. He was right and it did, many times. I made you a copy of it."

"There's lots of music. Some of it will help relax you when feel just too drained to want to go on and can't stop all the bad thoughts in your head. Rest is good for healing. It's hard to think straight when you are so very tired. The music can help lull you to sleep."

"Some songs are very angry to help release all the hate and anger you feel. It is okay to yell and scream. You can even cuss if you want. Even the really bad words but try not to use those every day. It lessens the impact of using them when you are really angry and need to express yourself. If you feel like hitting something tell your dad or the doctor and ask for a heavy bag."

Sam pulled out a roll of cotton wrap and set it on the bed next to the MP3 player. "A heavy bag is a padded bag you can hit and not hurt yourself or others. It helps release anger in a safe way. I like to use it. I can show you how to wrap up your hands to keep them from getting hurt."

Matt's gaze had followed the cotton wrap as Sam put the wrap on the bed. His eyes went back to Sam's never wavering when Sam started speaking again.

Sam saw he had Matt's attention and the boy was actually listening. He continued "There are songs that can help you work through the grief and sadness you feel. It's okay to cry with them. Crying is good and helps. I cry sometimes. Real men cry."

Softening his voice even more Sam said "It is okay to ask someone to hold you. Being held can make you feel safe when you are scared or confused. My dad's hugs make me feel secure and protected."

"When I'm feeling really sad I like it when my mom or girlfriend lets me lay my head in their lap and they run their fingers through my hair. It feels nice and it shows me I am loved and accepted no matter what happened to me."

Sam smiled and added a note of positive energy to his words "There are songs that will make you feel good and happy too. Sing out loud with those. Dance around if you want. Smile and laugh."

"You know laughing makes you feel better. Dr. Corbo can tell you all about it if you want but just know when you hurt laughing can help make you feel better. Laughing can stop the pain."

"I have a best friend that makes me laugh. When I'm sad or hurt he will bring over funny movies. We watch them together. Laughing with someone feels good."

Laughing softly Sam said "There are some songs that are just weird too. You'll just have to blame my friend Matt for them. He said he added them because I needed to hear all the wonderful facets that life had to offer through music."

A little more seriousness in his voice Sam continued "He was right again. Matt was right a lot. Although weird they showed me that life can be so many things and we have so many options. And the cool part is that we get to choose who we are regardless of what might have happened to us. A single event does not a life make."

He was almost done telling Matt about the music. He had spent hours trying to find just the right song especially for Matt. Sam said "I added one special song just for you. It's called 'Hey Matthew'. When you listen to it think about what you want to be when you grow up. You know you have your whole life to do and be anything you want. You do not have to let what happened to you control you. You can rise up and build the life you want."

"Have you ever heard of a Phoenix?" Sam asked.

Matt shook his head no.

Sam reached into the bag and pulled out a stuffed Phoenix bird. He held it up "A Phoenix is a mythical bird that lives a long time. It is strong and beautiful. It has a very special power. Do you want to know what that power is?"

Eyeing the bird in Sam's hand Matt softly whispered "Yes."

In the adjoining observation room standing at the window with his hands pressed against it Oliver was listening intently to everything Sam said. Oliver started crying softly as he blinked away tears. His boy just spoke. Matt spoke. Oh my god his boy spoke. Matt's eyes were riveted on the Phoenix bird. Oliver wiped at his eyes not wanting to miss a single interaction.

Sam placed the stuffed Phoenix in Matt's lap. The boy moved his hands to hold it.

A small smile crossed Sam's face as he said "When the Phoenix dies it goes up in flames and all that is left is ashes. But the special power is that out of those ashes the Phoenix is reborn and rises healthy and strong."

"I'm a Phoenix. You can be a Phoenix too. With the help of Dr. Corbo and your family you can rise up out of the ashes of what happened and become healthy and strong. You can live and enjoy the beauty of life."

Sam watched as Matt's hands pulled the Phoenix close to him and hugged it tightly.

Matt looked at Sam and tears welled in his eyes "You're a Phoenix?"

Tears welled in Sam's eyes "Yeah."

"Did the bad man hurt you?" Matt asked quietly.

Hot tears slid down Sam's face. It was not because Dupont hurt him. It was because Matt was talking. He knew from Dr. Corbo that the boy hadn't said a word since it happened. And now Matt was speaking. It choked him up.

Sam swallowed the emotional lump in his throat and said "Yeah he hurt me like he hurt you. A long time ago. I was your age. But I got help. I let friends and family help me and I rose up out of the ashes. I have a great life now. You can too."

Matt sat there a long time just staring at Sam and clutching the Phoenix forcefully.

Sitting quiet Sam could see Matt trying to assess the truth of what he just said. He knew how hard it could be to trust. The horrible things that happened to Matt had blown away his world and his trust in adults.

He saw as the welled tears in Matt's eyes began to fall. The pain and sorrow in those eyes was hard to see. He wanted to hold him but didn't dare reach out. Matt was the one that had to reach out. It had to be on Matt's terms.

In a small voice Matt cried "I want my daddy."

Oliver opened the door an instant after the words were out of Matt's mouth. He moved quickly and sat next to Matt. In a voice filled with emotion he softly said "I'm here son."

Matt crawled into his lap and clung onto his dad tightly smashing the Phoenix bird between them.

Oliver wrapped his arms securely around Matt and rocked slightly back and forth "I'm here. It's going to be okay. You're a Phoenix. A beautiful, beautiful, strong Phoenix." He continued saying soft reassuring words.

Sam stood up and slowly backed away to the door.

* * *

 _ **Private Family Treatment Facility in Ottawa**_ _ **– Observation**_ _ **Room**_

Softly closing the door Sam looked through the window into Matt's room. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

Turning Sam saw Dr. Corbo. There were tears in her eyes.

In a strangled voice she said "That was beautiful. Thank you. You just saved that boys life. Thank you really doesn't begin to express how I feel." She pulled him into a hug.

When she finally released him Sam wiped the tears from his eyes. He took a moment to glance at Oliver and Matt again. Oliver was slowly stroking Matt's hair as he held him close. Seeing that felt so good. So very good.

Sam said "If Matt wants a heavy bag let me know and I'll have one delivered. In the bag are instructions on how to properly wrap his hands and a small pair of gloves."

Smiling broadly Dr. Corbo said "Dawn was right. You are one of a kind. You have a heart of gold."

Blushing at the praise Sam said "I only wish I could have stopped Dupont …"

She interrupted him "Hush. Stop that thinking. You are a good man. Do you really have a friend named Matt or did you make that up to help Matt?"

Sam smiled "Matt was real. He did all I said. I would not be here without his and so many other people's help. The music; it really helped me. I hope it can help Matt too."

He made a decision. Sam pulled out his wallet and removed a card. He picked up a pen from the table and wrote something on the back and handed it to the doctor "On the back is my personal phone number. Please keep this confidential unless they ask. If Matt wants or needs to talk to me I am willing to listen and talk with him. He can use all the help he can get right now and I want to help if I can."

She smiled, nodded and said "Thank you again."

After Sam left the room Dr. Corbo looked at the card and read it _Constable Sam Braddock, Toronto Metro Police, SRU Team One_.

She thought what an exceptional man. Too bad she was happily married, he was a hottie too. Whoever captured his heart would be one lucky lady.

.

* * *

 _ **AN:** The song Sam added just for you is Hey Matthew by Karel Fialka. Search for the youtube video and give it a listen. Let me know if you think it was a good song for Sam to have Matt listen too._


	36. Dom, Great Way to Cope, Good News & Pran

**Dom, Great Way to Cope, Good News & Prank **

* * *

_**Three Weeks Later – Dominque Savoy's Home, France**_

Dominique Savoy hung up the phone with Charles and smiled. Things had gone better than even he had planned. He picked up his wine and sat back swirling it in the glass thinking. His other hand dropped to the infant in his lap and gently stroked Jeannette's hair.

"Si belle ma douce petite fille. Puissiez-vous ne jamais éprouver les horreurs de ce monde. Je ferai tout en mon pouvoir pour vous protéger contre les maux de ce monde."  
(So beautiful my sweet little girl. May you never experience the horrors of this world. I will do all in my power to protect you from the evils of this world) Dom whispered to his sleeping granddaughter.

Evils of this world; there were so many Dom thought. When his sources had told him that Dupont had plea bargained on the assault charges he had hacked into the prison system. He had reviewed all the prisoner profiles and selected the cell block with some of the meanest, most badassed prisoners in it.

He had wanted to put Dupont in a position where it was unlikely he would gain any power. Where he could not parlay his assault of a police officer into some sort of cred. Dupont had to be in a cell block where that crime was considered petty by the other criminals.

Dom also looked for a block with prisoners that despite their own heinous crimes had a soft spot for kids. If it ever came out that the police officer had beat the crap out of Dupont because Dupont had beaten Sam as a child Dom wanted Dupont to experience jailhouse justice. Dom had used some pull he had with his old friend Vincent Ericsson who just happened to be the Warden of the Toronto East Detention Centre to get Dupont assigned to that block.

As he swirled the wine again Dom thought about Charles. He had lost touch with Charles Moineau years ago. He was very surprised by the phone call just now. Charles had called to find out why he had arranged for Dupont to be placed in cell block A. In vague terms with no names he had explained. Charles had laughed and said he was glad they were friends and not someone that pissed off Dom. Then Charles shared some shocking news.

Dupont was a pedophile who had been convicted on twenty-seven counts.

Dom's heart instantly dropped when he realized that Dupont had done more to William's son than just whip him with a belt and beat him. It sickened him that Samuel had been hurt that way. Dom wished he had done more than just intimidate Dupont. He would have killed him with his bare hands if he had known what he did to Samuel.

But then Charles related to him that within two weeks of being incarcerated Dupont had become a shell of a man. He had been placed in a cell with Sigurd Varsson. Varsson completely dominated Dupont and all the inmates made his life a living hell when they found out he was a pedophile. In some ways Dom thought that was more justice than a quick painless death would have ever meted out.

Taking a sip of wine Dom thought karma's a bitch. He laughed out loud as he thought so is Dupont now.

Dom's daughter walked in and asked "Papa ce qui est si drôle?" (Papa what is so funny?)

He smiled at her and deflected from his real thought "Il suffit de penser à Jeannette manger la crème glacée pour la première fois plus tôt. Si amusant."  
(Just thinking about Jeannette eating ice cream for the first time earlier. So funny.)

Dom set his wine down put his arm around his daughter as she sat down next to him. Life is great he thought. He had his two beautiful daughters and his beautiful granddaughter. None of this would have been possible without the help of his friend William and his son Samuel.

* * *

 _ **Four Weeks Later – Sam's Apartment – 7 pm**_

Sam opened his door and tossed his keys on the counter. He rolled his head around his neck relieving some tension as he put the pizza on the counter. Going to the fridge Sam opened it and took out two beers. At the sound of someone entering his apartment he looked back and smiled.

"Jules. You made good time" Sam said.

Closing the front door and setting the bag on the counter she said "Couldn't let the pizza get cold." She took the two pints of ice cream out of the bag and held them up "Sorry they were out of your favorite. Your choices are mint chocolate chip or double, double, chocolate fudge."

Sam laughed "Ah some choice. I know you'd have me in a headlock begging for mercy if I dare touch your double, double, chocolate fudge." He grabbed the pizza box and headed for the couch.

Jules chuckled as she put the ice cream in the freezer "I'd share." At the look Sam gave her she said "Alright I'd share a single bite. But only with you." She picked up a few napkins and headed for the couch then sat next to him.

She flipped open the box and inhaled. It smelled divine and was just exactly what they needed for dinner. Today had been a rough shift and they were looking forward to just unwinding together.

Sam opened the beers and handed one to Jules. Then he picked up a slice of pizza. Neither of them felt like standing on ceremony. Eating pizza from the box was no fuss no muss. And after today it was just what they needed.

Jules picked up and slice and then kicked off her shoes and curled her feet under herself. She leaned back on the couch. After taking a bite and chewing slowly Jules asked "You okay?"

Taking a swig of beer first Sam sighed and said "Yeah. I'm good."

They sat in silence and ate each reflecting on the call today. No one could have ever predicted what they encountered today. It was a weird twist of fate that yet again intertwined past and present.

After some time Jules asked "How did Ed look?"

"He was quiet like usual after but left quickly" Sam said.

"How do you think he feels?" she asked.

Sam blew out a breath "Don't know. Conflicted like always I suppose. Can we talk about something else?"

Jules curled up next to Sam "Sorry. I didn't mean to …"

Putting a finger to her lips Sam silenced her "No it is okay. I just don't want to dwell on it. It happened. Maybe it was a mercy it happened. I just need to put it away. I'm sure Ed will be okay. We all have had to do that and it never gets easy even if the person gives us no other option. He didn't give Ed any other option."

Jules leaned up and captured Sam's lips. Their kiss started languid and slow. Then their hands began to roam gently as the heat started to build. Jules shifted so she straddled his lap. The intensity of their kiss grew as his tongue slipped in and danced around hers.

Pizza and beer forgotten the day's events faded into the background as the heat of their passion grew. Soon they were lost in each other. Nothing existed except the two of them and their love for each other as they fully expressed in actions the depth of their love.

Hours later they sat together on the bed backs against the headboard with a spoon in one hand a pint of ice cream in the other. Jules scooped out a large bite of double, double, chocolate fudge and slipped it into Sam's mouth. "See I share."

Sam did the same with the mint chocolate chip for Jules and with a full mouth answered "Mmme ooo." Jules laughed lightly.

Going back to his ice cream he scooped out a small bite and brought it to his lips but lowered it and looked at Jules. He sighed deeply feeling at peace and centered then said "What a great way to cope with a horrible day. Pizza, beer, sex and ice cream. I like it. Especially the third item."

Jules grinned and half teased "That third one better only be with me if you know what's good for you."

Giving her a WOW smile Sam answered "You're the only one for me Jules. The only one!"

Jules cuddled into his side and said "Right back at ya Braddock."

* * *

 _ **Twelve Hours Earlier – SRU HQ – Briefing Room – 7 am**_

Sam entered the briefing room after suiting up after workout. He was the last to enter the room. He stood a moment looking at the team. He smiled. Life was great and he found that entering this room with these people always made him feel good.

He had been back to work for almost six weeks now. He returned two days after meeting with Oliver and Matt. Meeting Matt had been cathartic for him. It healed wounds he hadn't known he had.

As Sam took his seat Jules asked "So is Natalie all settled in her new apartment?"

"Yeah. The super finally sent the plumber over last night while we were moving in her last boxes. I was beyond surprised at who the plumber was" Sam answered.

Wordy asked "Who was it?"

Grinning Sam responded "Oliver Marvin."

"NO!" Spike said with shock and his eyes wide.

Nodding Sam said "Yeah. Apparently he's doing well with therapy and is allowed to return to Toronto three days a week to work. He says Matt is making slow but steady progress too. The boy is at least talking now. Oliver said Matt still hasn't talked about what happened to him but his doctors are happy with his progress because he has shown no tendencies toward self-harm. Oliver said they are using music and art therapy to help Matt."

Sam had not shared with any of them, not even Jules that he had spoken with Matt. He wanted his help to remain something private because it helped him separate his past and present. Two days after he had met Matt, Dr. Carbo had called to say Matt wanted a heavy bag. Sam had one delivered the same day.

A week ago Sam had gotten one call from Matt. The boy had not said much. Really the only thing he said was he was working on becoming a phoenix too. Well that and that some of the music was really, really weird. They had both laughed. It was good to hear Matt laugh.

Oliver had spoken to him when Matt called too. He thanked him for all his help. He told him that Matt was drawing phoenix's in his art therapy. Matt's room at the treatment center was plastered with them. Oliver also said that Matt spent hours listening to the music. Together they had sorted out the songs to create different playlists to fit Matt's mood. Every night Matt fell asleep listening to the relaxing music. It helped diminish his nightmares.

Greg smiled "That's so good to hear Sam."

Sam's phone rang and he looked at the caller id. His stomach clenched. He would know he was at work. He wouldn't call unless it was important. Sam looked up and said "Sorry Boss, I gotta answer this one."

Greg said "No worries, nothing pressing today."

Sam stood and walked to the corner with his back to the team as he answered "Blaze what's wrong?"

 _[Laughing Blaze said "Oh crap I forgot you would be at work Blondie. Sorry to scare you. Nothing's wrong."]_

Releasing the breath he had held Sam said "Good. I'm in briefing, only got a minute. What's up?"

 _[The sound of joy permeated Blaze's voice a he said "You're never gonna believe it."]_

"Believe what?" Sam asked wondering at the sound of Blaze's voice.

 _["I'm pregnant. No. No. What I meant to say is Lizzy is pregnant. I'm gonna be a dad. Me a dad. Can you believe it?" Blaze prattled out uncharacteristically.]_

A broad grin spread across Sam face and he turned to let the team see "Yes I can. You'll do great. That's really great news! Awesome. Congratulations. How is Lizzy doing?"

 _[Blaze was smiling "She's great. No morning sickness so far. She has a glow about her. Hey I'll let you go now I know you are working. I just had to let you know though. I'll call you on your day off. Maybe Lizzy and I will come to Toronto and we can have a double date."]_

"Sounds good. Thanks for letting me know. Talk to you later" Sam said then they both hung up.

Ed asked with a suspecting grin "So what's great and awesome for Blaze?"

"He's gonna be a dad. Lizzy is pregnant" Sam said with a smile.

Everyone was sharing in the good news when Winnie walked in and said "Sarge, Commander Holleran wants Sam in his office now if you are not busy with something."

Spike teased "Ooooh Samtastic's in trouble. What did you do to be called to the principal's office?"

"Spike shut up" Wordy laughed.

Greg nodded his head to the door "Go. See what he wants. We'll wait to start briefing until you get back."

Sam jogged out of the room wondering why Holleran wanted to talk to him.

When he left Jules smiled and said "I have news too."

Ed was half teasing and half serious when he stated "You better not be pregnant too. I'll kill whoever you are dating. We just got the whole team back and working like a well-oiled machine again."

Jules laughed "Christ Ed. No I'm not pregnant."

"What's your news?" Spike asked laughing at the two of them. He couldn't wait to tell Sam about Ed's comment and see his reaction.

Jules shared "I got a letter from Connor. Things are going well for him, Patrick and Patricia. In it he said that one day he came to the office to find a present on his desk. It was from Pat squared. He opened it to find a t-shirt."

"Printed on the shirt was 'World's Best Grandpa'. It seems they have become a family and they have adopted him and look out for him. Patrick and Patricia have asked him to be the grandpa to the baby they are expecting. He's thrilled."

Greg said "That is wonderful news. So much happiness. I feel today is going to be stellar."

"Ah Boss you just had to jinx us" Wordy said shaking his head. "And everything was going so nice this morning."

Everyone laughed. They chatted about various things waiting for Sam to return form Holleran's office. Each wondering why he was called in there.

* * *

 _ **SRU HQ – Commander Holleran's Office**_

Sam knocked and entered when directed. He stood at attention when he saw Chief Alnwick in the room with Commander Holleran. He wondered what this was about. He had already met with them regarding the issue with Captain Brunello's actions and the whole blue wall of silence thing. He had even talked with them regarding Constable Brisa Horne.

Chief Alnwick said "Constable Braddock please take a seat."

Sam did so and asked "Sir what is this about?"

Alnwick sat and said "I just wanted to update you on a few things since we last met."

Sam nodded "Okay."

Alnwick wanted to apologize again but didn't because Braddock always seemed to be embarrassed when he did. So he started in "Captain Brunello has come to us with a suggestion for a refresher course for all Constables on proper procedures for arresting suspects in need of medical care and specifically when they are in a hospital."

"I've given the go ahead. It will be rolled out in the next few months. I know that you have told us very clearly you have no intention on pursuing any legal recompense in relation to the department's handling of both this and the previous issues surrounding the blue wall of silence. For that I am grateful and honored to have you as an officer of this department. I wanted to let you know that in addition to the material Brunello is developing I will be adding content to that training."

"You know my position on the blue wall of silence and I plan on communicating to all officers that it is unacceptable. Both participating it in and accusing others of hiding behind it without solid evidence. As officers of the law we must abide by the rule of law. The reputation of the police department and our duty to and the trust within the community demand it."

Sam nodded but remained silent as Alnwick continued "With regard to Constable Horne. We did consider your input and desire for her to receive only disciplinary action in our thorough review. However, the fact that she was already receiving disciplinary action for previous lapses in judgement necessitated that we release her. However, given your input and that of Sergeant Parker we allowed her to resign rather than firing her. She resigned four weeks ago. That should lessen the impact of her finding new employment."

Commander Holleran interjected "I have since learned she has gotten a job as a prison guard at Toronto East Detention Centre."

Sam held back on the grimace. When he first heard who she was and why she was on guard duty he had been pissed. But then he realized that people make mistakes and it was an emotionally charged issue she had strong beliefs on. She had made a mistake that day but he felt she should be given an opportunity to learn from it. He was glad to hear she had gotten a new job already.

Alnwick then said "Lastly I wanted to let you know that Attorney General has completed a full review of the incident with the Toronto Crown Attorney Office. The Crown Attorney's name had been cleared of any wrong doing. They found that Sundvqist acted outside appropriate parameters. They have instituted some procedures that they think will prevent something like this ever happening to another person."

Sam finally said something "That's good."

Leaning forward the Chief then asked "How are you doing? Have you had to deal with any inappropriate behaviors from anyone within the department since your return? I need to know so that I can deal with any situation promptly. I want to ensure that all officers under my command are treated with proper respect and courtesy. You did nothing wrong and I know the media attention was terrible and bad attitudes may still linger in some minds."

Sam grinned. The Chief was a good man with strong morals and desire to do good for both those he commanded and the community. "I'm good Sir. No incidents what so ever. Is there anything else? My team is waiting for me to start briefing."

Standing and extending his hand Alnwick said "Nothing else. Make sure if something does come up that you report it to your Sergeant. He will make sure it gets through the proper channels and is dealt with appropriately."

Shaking the Chief's hand Sam stood and said firmly "Copy that."

After Sam left Alnwick turned to Holleran "That is one damned fine officer. He does this department proud."

Holleran stood and shook Alnwick's hand "That he is and yes he does. We are lucky to have him." Privately he thought damned proud of my godson.

* * *

 _ **SRU HQ – Briefing Room**_

Sauntering back into the briefing room Sam looked to Spike and said with a flat serious tone with a slight hint of disgust "Cheif Alnwick was there. He wanted to talk to me about you. Something about you using SRU resources to hack into places you shouldn't. Wanted to know if I'd seen anything they could use as evidence against you. They'll be talking to everyone before the day is out."

Spike sputtered "No. Seriously? Oh god I know I shouldn't have …" Spike trailed off as he saw the grin starting to grow on Sam's face. "Sam! Why? Why would you scare me like that?" Spike whined.

"Told you revenge was best served cold. Well this one is ice cold" Sam laughed.

Everyone was chuckling as Ed asked "What did Spike do?"

"Ya remember workout the morning of the day Spike and I were kidnapped" Sam asked.

Spike rolled his eyes "Christ that was so long ago. You can't still be miffed about that."

Jules laughed as the image of Sam spitting out his iced capp all over the weight bench and nearly gagging on it. She said "You know never to mess with coffee."

"It was only a tad bit of salt" Spike defended.

Wordy laughed deeply "More like half the salt shaker. Remember I unscrewed the cap then watched you do it …" he trailed off. Oh crap. He just gave away he was in on it.

"Busted" Ed laughed. "Can't wait to see what's in store for you now Wordy. You know Spike's gonna get in on it with Sam."

Wordy cringed. When those two teamed up on a prank it was a doosey. Maybe a little bribery was in order. Wordy was about to say something when the claxon alarm sounded.

Winnie called out "Team One. Hot call. Situation at the Toronto East Detention Centre. Patching the Warden to you now Sarge."

The team headed off to gear up.


	37. Bizarre, Come to Terms, Big Bubba's Less

_**AN:**_ _ **Very**_ _ **Strong**_ _ **Warning**_ _:_ _ **Cell Block A Showers scene is VERY DARK**_ _including foul and coarse language and non-consensual sexual acts. I tried to draw word pictures of what was happening without coming right out and saying it for the most part. But it may be too graphic for some readers. **Please SKIP the**_ ** _Cell Block A Showers_** _ **scene if you don't like.** _

_If you skip that scene you will miss Big Bubba's Lesson. Suffice to say the lesson may be a bit too much for some readers to handle. But it's no less than Dupont deserves ... very intense and dark._

* * *

 **Bizarre, Come to Terms, Big Bubba's Lesson & Weird Twists of Fate**

* * *

 _ **Toronto East Detention Centre – Inside Cell Block A**_

Zhang was at one of the tables in the common area near the showers. It was just after breakfast and he was struggling to read the book in front of him. He ran his hands through his hair and growled in frustration.

Sigurd sauntered up and took a seat. "Problem?"

Zhang turned and looked at Sigurd. "I can't get this one. It's too hard."

"What one? Show me" Sigurd said moving his eyes to the remedial reader book Zhang was working with.

Zhang pointed to the word. Sigurd said "Try sounding it out."

Focusing on the word and trying to break it down Zhang haltingly spoke "b … ba … No. bi … bi … zz … bizz … a … aa … biza … err." He smiled and put it all together "Bizarre." He looked to Sigurd for confirmation he got it right.

Sigurd smiled "Good job."

Zhang grinned "So what does bizarre mean?"

"It means very strange or unusual, especially so as to cause interest or amusement" Sigurd explained.

Nodding Zhang said understanding "Kinda like this. It's bizarre that a guy like you is helping me learn to read."

Patting the kid's shoulder Sigurd said "Yeah it's bizarre. But I like you kid. When you get out you can make something of yourself. But you need to be able to read and write and do your sums. How's the math going with Nelson?"

Zhang smiled "Good. I got my multiplication tables down for sixes yesterday."

Sigurd grinned. The kid was making progress. "Good to hear. I gotta go now. I'm expected at the laundry room for work. I'm trying to swing it so you get assigned to the laundry with me and Nelson. That way you'll be protected and you can work on reading and math while we work. Until then enjoy your free time not working. By next week you'll be assigned to somewhere."

Zhang grinned "Reading is like working."

Laughing Sigurd said "I know it can be hard but you are doing very well. You keep at that book another hour at least. Write down any words you have trouble with and we'll work on them together this afternoon. Dupont will be doing your common room chores this afternoon so you can spend more time studying."

Nodding Zhang went back to the book. He liked the new word. It was bizarre that he liked being in prison better than the time he spent with Master. Several weeks ago after his trial, he had been sentenced to ten years in prison for his part in the abductions.

They said it was not more because he was indoctrinated into doing it, had a low IQ and was susceptible to manipulation. The other countries would not seek to try him on more charges when he finished his sentence here so long as he showed remorse and rehabilitation. He didn't know what indoctrinated, low IQ, susceptible to manipulation and rehabilitation meant. He decided he would ask Sigurd about that later.

He took a break from reading; it was hard work and so he sat just staring at it lost in thoughts. The first night in here he met his cell mate Nelson. He was scared of the man at first. Nelson was in for the murder of four people who had raped his wife and teenage daughter when they broke into his house one night to rob it.

Nelson demanded Zhang tell him why he was here. So he told him all about the police officer abductions and how his Master made him hurt them or be killed himself. Zhang ended up telling him all about his life from the time Master took him in.

Zhang was surprised at Nelson's reaction. When Nelson learned about how Master had treated him as a boy and how he was forced to help Master at age sixteen Nelson had taken him under his protection. Nelson and Sigurd were buddies so Sigurd protected him too.

When Sigurd found out he could not read very well he started teaching him. Then Nelson began with math. Because he was protected by Nelson and Sigurd all the guys in the cell block treated him nice and looked out for him. Well, all except the guy named Dupont.

That guy was a whole different story. Dupont never did anything unless Sigurd told him he could not even use the toilet. He kinda felt bad for him. Sigurd often made him wait so long Dupont pissed himself. Then all the guys would laugh at Dupont and taunt him as Sigurd made him stand there in his pissed clothes.

All the guys treated Dupont bad, very bad. He heard Dupont screaming in the shower sometimes when several others went in with him. His face was often bruised and so were his wrists like he had been held down. Dupont walked funny sometimes like he hurt.

He heard Dupont cry at night since their cells were right next to each other. He also heard when Dupont was made to do things to the other guys. Their grunts and moans and his gagging or whimpering, it happened a lot, several times a day.

Zhang looked up and saw the new lady guard. She was pretty. He liked looking at her. He smiled and waved at her. She only nodded in response.

Someday when he got out he would get a girlfriend. He was gonna have a better life now. He was not sorry Master was dead. He was relieved. He could finally have a better life. Even prison was better than the time with Master.

He heard Dupont screaming in pain again and tried to block it out. Using his new word again he thought it was bizarre how nice the guys were to him and how mean they were to Dupont.

* * *

 _ **Toronto East Detention Centre – Outside Cell Block A**_

Brisa had been here for several weeks now. She had come to terms with the fact that she had screwed herself out of her police job. In retrospect she could see how her actions and lack of judgement had played into it. If only she could rewind her life and do it right.

She had been floored when she was allowed to resign rather than be fired outright. Finding employment after being fired would have been very difficult. Brisa had been further stunned that the only reason she was offered the opportunity to resign was because of the inputs from Sergeant Parker and Constable Braddock.

Brisa was still working on her letters to them to apologize and thank them. The right words were hard to find and she wanted them to be right. Her life would be so different if she had been fired. Being a security guard wasn't what she really wanted to do with her life. But for now it was a damned sight better than any menial job she would have gotten if she had been fired.

She liked to think she was making a difference here. But this whole thing made her stop and think what she really wanted to do with her life. She smiled thinking that her options had opened wide. She considered joining the military. Maybe she might make a life as a military police officer.

Or maybe she would do a complete one eighty and become a florist like her mother. She did like flowers after all. Flowers brightened people's lives. The thought made her laugh. Her mother would be speechless if she did that because all she had ever wanted to be from the time she was five was to be a cop like her dad who had died in the line of service. Maybe it was time to really consider the florist option.

From her position outside cell block A she did her walk through check of the inmates. She had only been assigned to this block last week and was still settling in. The big lunk of a kid was sitting at the table reading. He read a lot she noticed. She also often saw one or two of the inmates helping him with words. Strange how things operated in the prison.

It was odd that a block of hardened murderers and inmates serving time for aggravated assault could treat someone so gently. She decided that she just might need to look into his file to better understand. She had been doing that a lot lately. Trying to understand before judging or speaking about a subject she did not have the facts on.

That tendency had been the root cause of all her recent problems. It had almost gotten someone killed too. The defendant in that courtroom, she had no idea who it was, but he had almost been killed by the man that got in when she left for coffee.

Brisa had quit coffee cold turkey after that. She couldn't stand the reminder that she nearly got someone killed because she behaved like a spoiled brat. Tea was much more calming anyways.

That day she felt so very small. Ed had completely intimidated her and when he yelled at her to get out she ran wanting to be as far away from him as possible. She was glad that Braddock had used his SRU negotiation skills to talk the man down and to drop the knife. She had been so wrong about that man. So very wrong.

The big lunk of a kid reading smiled and waved and to her and Brisa nodded in greeting. She continued on. That is until she heard someone screaming and screaming in intense pain.

Depressing her comms button Brisa called out "Charley we have an incident in cell block A. Inmate screaming in the shower area. I need backup here now."

She drew her weapon and headed in.

* * *

 _ **Toronto East Detention Centre – Cell Block A Showers**_

 _ ***** **Warning**_ _ **:**_ _Skip to next scene if bothered by_ _foul and coarse language and non-consensual sexual acts._ _ *****_

Dupont stripped at the command of Big Bubba. His life was hell and Big Bubba was the meanest of the bastards. The things Big Bubba liked to do to him hurt and hurt badly and left him bruised all over. Big Bubba got off on causing him ungodly pain. The more he screamed the harder Big Bubba got.

He was just glad Big Bubba had not actually raped him. Sigurd was right the man was unhumanly huge. He could imagine being torn wide open if Big Bubba took him that way. BJs were bad enough, Big Bubba barely fit in his mouth.

Dupont didn't think he couldn't take much more abuse even if Big Bubba never fucked him like so many other guys had done repeatedly. Every day it was the same things over and over. Used and abused in sickening ways.

The shower area was the worst because the guards could not see directly into it. Usually he was gagged so his screams could not be heard by the guards. But Big Bubba liked to hear his screams when he abused him with various things.

Once he was naked he was shoved to his knees and his hair was grabbed by Torun. Torun reeked. God he hated the smell and taste of this bastard. He gagged as Torun forced himself into his mouth. "Move" Torun commanded. Dupont began to move as expected. The only saving grace with Torun was he shot off quick.

Spitting and wiping his mouth as Torun stepped back Dupont wanted to be sick. His hair was yanked and Gejza slapped his face several times. "You better do exactly like I like it. You know what I expect" Gejza hissed at him.

Dupont reached up and kneaded Gejza with one hand while the other went behind Gejza and he slipped one finger in. He moved it in and out in the same rhythm as Gejza pushed hard and deep into his mouth. Gejza yanked on his hair every time he thrust his hips forward forcing himself deeper. Gejza went so far down his throat Dupont could barely breathe. Gejza took forever and he was gasping for breath as fluid dribble from his mouth when Gejza finally released him.

The next three guys all used him in much the same way each requiring him to do something sickening that they found pleasure in. God he hated the taste in his mouth. He didn't dare bite them. He had tried once and paid in pain, lots and lots of pain.

Sigurd barely stopped Strauss from cutting off his cock. But the twenty seven small cuts Strauss made along it burned for days. Especially when Sigurd made him piss himself and stand for hours in his urine soaked pants.

He was spitting out the last man's contribution when Big Bubba kicked him in the balls. Then Big Bubba reached down and grabbed his cock and squeezed hard. A choked painful cry came out of his mouth. Big Bubba smiled and rubbed himself with his other hand getting hard at the sound of his cry of pain.

Big Bubba sneered "We're gonna have some fun this morning Dupont. Hold him down."

Four men each grabbed a wrist or an ankle and held Dupont down spread eagle face up while Big Bubba continued to squeeze him. He yanked hard up and down several times. There was nothing pleasant about it. It was painful and he cried out. But he found himself growing hard anyways.

"Ah I see you like that" Big Bubba sneered. "Can't have that." He released his hold on Dupont and punched him in the jaw. He landed several hard punches to his stomach and face.

Dupont struggled against the hands holding him. They held him with bruising strength. Dupont tasted the blood from his split lip.

Big Bubba looked at the piece of shit on the floor. "Not so fun being one of your boys is it. Ever take them without lubrication?"

Dupont stared at Big Bubba. He lied "No."

"Ever take them without preparation?" Big Bubba asked disgust on his face.

Again Dupont lied "No."

Big Bubba knew the sorry sack of shit was lying but said "Ah so you were always sure your boys were comfortably stretched and lubed and wanted it."

Dupont nodded in fear "Yes. They wanted it."

Leaning close to Dupont he sneered "Liar. Gag him and then turn him over on his knees, ass in the air and head down."

Dupont blanched. He saw Big Bubba was ready, standing hard and straight up. It scared him shitless. He would be split in two with that thing. No prep. No lube. God no!

When he was forced into that position Big Bubba whispered in his ear from behind "You are a vicious animal. I know what you did to Matt. How badly you hurt him. I'm going to teach you a lesson. It's about time you learned what it felt like to be one of your boys. What it felt like to be Matt when you ripped into him with no prep and no lube. To have someone so large breach something so small with no care or concern for the brutal damage it would do. Get ready to feel exactly what you did to that sweet little boy."

Dupont struggled wildly to no avail. Big Bubba's hands grabbed each side of his hips. Dupont screamed bloody murder as Big Bubba rammed into him. He screamed and screamed and screamed in pain through the gag as Big Bubba kept at it.

* * *

 _ **Toronto East Detention Centre – Command Room**_

The team arrived on scene and loaded their weapons with non-lethal rubber bullets. Then they headed into the prison to meet the Warden in the command center.

Warden Ericsson met them and updated them "It's gone to hell since we called. He has taken hostages. He got a gun away from one of the guards and forced the other two to drop theirs and leave. He shot one inmate when the inmate tried to help the guard. But we can't get in there to get him out. He also shot out the cameras. He's a damned good shot in order to shoot them out."

Greg took off his hat and rubbed his head as he turned to Ed "Less lethal isn't an option now. The inmate is armed with three guns and has already shot one person."

Ed's face was hard "I agree. Sam, Wordy go get the real ammo. And Sam bring the Remi. Not sure we'll have a Sierra location but we need to be prepared."

Sam and Wordy both answered "Copy" and ran back out towards the SUVs to get the real bullets and sniper rifle. Rubber bullet would not work.

Ed then said "Spike see if there is any way for us to get eyes in. We need to understand the position of all the inmates."

Turning to the Warden Greg asked "How many inmates and guards are hostage?"

Warden Ericsson reported "There are currently eight inmates including the one with the gun. The rest were at their work stations already. He has only the one guard inside the cell block. It is locked down. He cannot get out."

Greg asked "Has he demanded anything yet?"

"No just ranting" Ericsson replied.

Jules asked "What is his name? We need to see his records to build a profile."

The Warden answered "Gerard Dupont."

Jules gasped.

Spike's eyes went wide.

Greg said softly "Son of a bitch"

Ed pinched the bridge of his nose and called out "Sam get back here with the rifle and ammo then you are benched. You will stay in the command center. No arguments. This is too close for you. Do I make myself clear?"

* * *

 _ **Toronto East Detention Centre – Hallway**_

At the name Sam stopped dead and Wordy ran into him but recovered quickly.

Wordy looked at Sam and he was so pale, all color had leeched from his face and he was just staring at nothing. When he didn't answer Ed, Wordy softly asked "Sam you okay?"

Slowly coming out of his daze Sam looked at Wordy "Huh?"

"I asked if you are okay. Did you hear Ed?" Wordy said with concern.

Greg called out "Wordy what's up with Sam?"

"Give me a moment Boss. Sam you with me buddy." Wordy said laying a hand on Sam's shoulder.

Shaking his head no Sam said "No I didn't hear. What?"

"Ed said you're benched for this one. We need to get the supplies and head back but you will stay in the command center. No arguments." Wordy told him.

Sam nodded "Okay." He blew out a breath "Okay."

The rest of the team heard and a small sigh was released by each as they heard Sam say okay.

Wordy called out "We're good. Heading to trucks now. Back in a few minutes."

Sam and Wordy ran for the trucks.

* * *

 _ **Toronto East Detention Centre – Command Room**_

Warden Ericsson asked "Just what was that all about?"

Greg said "Nothing. So I need to speak to the other two guards. We need to know all the inmates in there and which guard is hostage."

Ericsson said "Finch, get Moineau and Sawyer in here on the double."

Spike called out "I've been able to tap into the system and I've repositioned two cameras. Bad angles can't see much but I do see a group of …" He counted the people. "A group of six inmates in one corner and it looks like they are naked. I see one inmate lying on the floor. Not moving it must be the one that was shot."

Ed came up behind Spike and looked at the screen "The incident started in the shower. They must have all been in there showering. Don't see Dupont or the guard. Any way to move them around a bit more?"

"Sorry that's the best I can get" Spike answered.

Arriving back with the ammo and rifle Sam glanced at the screen "At least the inmates are grouped together. It appears it is a one man show."

Greg and Ed were surprised at the calmness of Sam's voice. Greg asked "You okay Sam?"

Sam looked at him. "Yeah. I understand why I can't go in there but maybe I can help from here."

Considering the request Greg said "Okay. You can interview the guards. You stay here and only here Sam. We need to find out what we can about the situation. Feed me on the fly."

Sam nodded "Thanks Boss."

Ed looked at Greg and silent communication passed between them Ed questioning Greg's decision. It was Greg's call but Ed didn't think it was the wisest thing to do. They only got Sam back a few weeks ago. This could send him for another loop.

Spike broke into their silent conversation when he communicated "I sent the blue prints of cell block A to your PDAs. There are a few places for Sierra depending on where the subject is."

Ed looked at Sam scrutinizing him.

Sam held Ed's gaze and answered the unasked question "I can do this Ed."

Giving in Ed looked at the blueprints "Wordy, Spike you will cover Greg and go in from the north. Jules you are with me we will approach from the south. Jules you are Sierra One if any of the positions work."

They all nodded and the five of them switched out ammo.

Jules slung the rifle on her shoulder. She gave Sam a smile. He gave her one back. Then they took off.

The Warden looked to Sam when the door opened a few moments later and Moineau and Sawyer entered. He said "This officer needs to speak with you."

Sam said "I'm Sam can you tell me what happened?"

Charley Moineau responded "I'm Charley and this is David. We were in the monitor room when we got a call from Brisa saying there was an incident in cell block A. Inmate screaming in the shower area."

Sam heard the name. Could it be? He asked "Brisa Horne?"

"Yeah. She's new. Been here only a few weeks. She nice and good. You guys gotta get her out of there. No telling what they'll do to her" David said shaken.

"Boss the guard taken hostage is Brisa Horne" Sam called out.

He heard Greg say son of a bitch but focused back on the guards "What happened? How was she taken? I need any details you can give me."

Charley who was calmer than David related what he knew "Brisa called out for backup. Just before we left the monitor room I saw her head in with her weapon drawn. By the time we got there she had all the inmates in one corner except Zhang and Dupont."

The name Zhang hit Sam hard. No. no. It would be too damned bizarre. Too weird that so much past and present collided. Sam asked "Zhang. Last name?"

David half laughed "Unknown."

Sam looked at him questioningly "You mean you do not know."

The Warden answered "No. The last name is Unknown. He was given that name because he does not know his last name. So in our system he is Zhang Unknown."

Slowly shaking his head Sam asked "Boss did you get that?"

* * *

 _ **Toronto East Detention Centre – Nearing Cell Block A**_

Greg answered "Yeah Sam I did. Spike I want you to head to Jules to be her cover. Ed when he gets there I need you with me. No one alone in the block."

Spike looked at Greg "I can do this."

Greg answered "Spike. No. No engagement Spike, same reason as Sam is not in here. Too close too personal."

He didn't like it one bit. Spike knew exactly how Sam felt now. Benched. Dammit. But he only nodded and said "Coming to you Ed." He took off running to Ed and Jules position.

A few minutes later Ed arrived at Greg's location. He stopped and looked at Greg hard "I don't like this at all. We are all too close to this. Dupont, Zhang and Brisa. If it goes south SIU will have a field day."

Greg nodded "Winnie. Call in Team Two or Four."

Winnie had been listening and was shocked at so many paths crossing in one call for Team One "Sarge both are involved in calls. I can call Rollie, Team Three could reup and be there in thirty minutes."

Greg instructed "Do it." Then he called out to Team One "Team we are going to take this slow. Try to keep the situation calm until Team Three gets here. Jules do you have a Sierra position?"

Jules called out "Yes but not good. If he moves to the right at all I lose the solution. I don't like what I see."

"Explain" Ed said.

From her position Jules sighed. She had seen some horrible things on this job but this was just … just … she had no words. She answered "Dupont keeps shoving the gun in Brisa's face as he rants. He is completely naked. His face is bleeding and bruised. His whole body is covered in bruises, old and new."

Her breath hitched as she reported "Boss, there is blood is running down the insides of his thighs. I think he was raped."

Greg closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It happened a lot to pedophiles in prison. Even the most harden murderer hated pedophiles. "Anything else Jules?"

Jules answered "The inmate on the ground not moving is the only one dressed. I cannot see his face to know if he is out or just laying still try not to draw more attention to himself. I do see a small pool of blood near his shoulder though."

"Okay thanks Jules. If he escalates and appears ready to fire you have Scorpio but I'd like to see if we can talk him down. If he has been raped he is likely reacting to that. We may have a chance to get him the help he needs" Greg said.

Greg paced. He took off his cap and rubbed his head with one hand. He was conflicted as to whether he should go in. "Sam any other details you can share from the guards?"

* * *

 _ **Toronto East Detention Centre – Command Room**_

Sam had finished gleaning all the information from the guards. He reported "The guards reported that Brisa heard the screams. She drew her weapon and entered the cell block then went to the shower. When they arrived she had grouped the attackers into one corner and Dupont was laying on the floor of the showers bloody and gagged. Charley and David took over guarding the large group of inmates while Brisa went to help Dupont."

"She ungagged him and had helped him to his knees and then to stand. As they were exiting the shower Dupont attacked and overpowered her taking her gun away from her when he punched her in the face. Apparently they were near the table where Zhang was sitting and reading. When Dupont aimed the gun at Brisa Zhang rushed him and knocked Brisa out of the line of fire."

"Brisa tried to help Zhang and Charley swung around to aim at Dupont while David covered the other inmates. Dupont got a hold of Brisa and threatened to kill her unless the guards dropped their weapons and left the cell block."

"They said that they followed his instructions when Brisa told them too and she yelled call SRU. As they complied Dupont held onto Brisa and began ranting about killing all the inmates because they kept raping him and he couldn't take anymore abuse."

"From what they told me it has probably been bad for Dupont since he got here. He's been badly mistreated and often has bruises on his face. The guards never saw the attacks so they did not know who to charge. They would have moved him but the only option is solitary confinement. Pedophiles are not typically safe once their crimes are known."

Sam blew out a breath "Boss, I have a bad feeling this is an attempt at suicide by cop."

* * *

 _ **Toronto East Detention Centre – Cell Block A**_

Dupont yelled out "I know you must be here now. I'm gonna start killing people. Starting with this pretty little guard. I cannot live like this anymore."

Greg looked at Ed. Ed shook his head "Wait Greg."

Jules called out "Boss you need to get in there now if you want to try talk. He's made Brisa kneel down and put the gun to her head. But he seems to be looking at the door waiting."

Sighing Greg said to Ed "We can't let him kill her. I have to try. We can't wait."

Ed nodded and both Ed and Wordy lifted their shields as they made their way to the cell block entrance. Ed entered first. Greg entered behind Wordy's shield.

Greg called out "Gerard Dupont I'm Greg Parker with the Strategic Response Unit. I'd like to help resolve this without anyone else getting hurt. Can you tell me what you need?"

Dupont saw Greg, Ed and Wordy. Great it was the little brat's team again. Shit he had the worse luck ever. That little brat was the root of all his problems. That little brat tempted him and gave him a taste for boys. He would not be here if not for him. He should have killed him when he was a boy.

His eyes searched around. Where was the little shit? Where were the other two also? That little wench and the dark haired idiot. He finally yelled "I don't want to talk to you."

Greg said "I'd like to help if I can. You appear injured. You need help. Why don't you put the gun down and we can get you the help you need."

"I said I will not talk to you. Get Braddock here. I'll talk to him" Dupont shouted.

Shaking his head slightly Greg answered "I can't do that."

Dupont grabbed Brisa's hair and yanked. She made a soft whimper. Dupont shouted "Get him here or I blow her head off. I need to talk to Braddock."

From the command post Sam said "Boss? Maybe it is the only way to get him to stop."

Spike interjected "Or maybe he wants you there to kill you Sam. Boss you can't let Sam in there. It's too much risk."

Sam hissed "He's gonna kill Brisa if I don't show. I can be behind Ed. Behind a shield. Boss we gotta try."

Ed looked at Greg "I don't like this. I'm with Spike."

Jules called out "I have the solution."

Softly Greg said "Sam are you sure you can do this?"

Sam answered "No but I'm willing to try."

Greg appreciated Sam's honesty. He really did not want to subject Sam to this. Sam did not deserve to have to face this man again. Greg looked at Brisa. She looked so young, so very young. Could he take a chance with her life? Priority of Life order of protection came to mind civilian, officer, then subject. But could he deliberately put Sam at risk to save a civilian?

He stepped back behind Wordy "Sam you stay behind Ed. Fully covered the entire time."

"On my way" Sam called out.

Greg stepped back into view of Dupont "Sam is coming. Just don't do anything you will regret before he gets here. This doesn't have to end badly."

Dupont yelled "You don't get to tell me that. This is already bad." He yanked Brisa's hair again. She whimpered trying not to make a sound.

Zhang looked at the pretty guard. He hated that Dupont was hurting her. He had tried to help. She told him to lie still that it would be okay. So he laid here even though he wanted to stop Dupont. Things were getting a little dizzy and his shoulder hurt so much. He closed his eyes too rest.

Sam ran to the cell and when he approached Ed backed out and went to Sam. Ed commanded firmly but low enough Dupont could not overhear "You are behind me completely. That is an order. Are we clear?"

Nodding Sam blew out a breath to steady himself and answered softly "Yes Sir."

Ed nodded and the two of them entered the cell. Sam took in the sight of Dupont. The man was a mess. God he felt conflicted by what he saw. He pushed those thoughts away "Dupont I'm here. How can we end this with no one else getting hurt?"

Zhang's eyes flew open. He would know that voice anywhere. It was that police officer that Master thought was Sergei. He turned his head towards the sound. It was definitely him. He smiled. The man had lived. Master didn't kill him. Good.

Dupont looked at the smug brat hiding behind the shield. He was to blame for everything. He yelled "All of this is your fault. I bet it makes you happy to see the blood running down my legs. To know that I've been raped everyday multiple times every day since I arrived here."

Sam answered "No it does not make me happy. I'm sorry that happened to you."

"Oh right I forgot your some kind of perfect. No saint Braddock would not be happy. I know different. You are lying through your teeth if you are saying you are not happy and that you are sorry" Dupont shouted.

Sam winced. Damn he had lied and he Dupont caught him on it. Greg was right never lie to a subject, especially if they know you. He closed his eyes and repeated in his head no lying, no lying.

He sighed "No it does not make me happy. People being hurt has never made me happy. But honestly in this case nor does it make me sad. And you are right, no I'm not really sorry it happened. But it should not have happened to you. It should not happen to anyone, especially children."

Greg hissed "Sam"

Sam looked at him and spoke in an undertone "No lying to the subject. He'll know if I'm lying." Then to Dupont he added "So what is it that you want? Why did you want to talk to me?"

"I want you in hell. I want you dead today" Dupont shouted.

A small snort came out and Sam said "I might actually see you in hell someday but not today. How about putting the gun down and we can see about getting you transferred to a safer location. Away from the men that did this to you."

Getting more agitated Dupont commanded "You step out from behind that shield and I let her go. You stay there I kill her."

"Sam no" Greg ordered.

Sam recalled the letter Max had written him about how Gerard thought and perceived the world. Max had thought it would help him come to terms with things. It hadn't but the information might be useful now.

He cleared his throat "I've been ordered not to by my superior. So you can understand that I cannot step out. If you just put the gun down we can get you moved. Maybe solitary confinement might be a safe option. You could eat, shower and sleep alone unmolested. You could have the power over your own body back."

Dupont was losing it now "This is all your fault. All your fault. If you had not been such a pretty boy. If I had never watched you showering as a boy. I got so hard seeing your sweet little ass. I just wanted to ..." Dupont was cut off by Sam.

Sam could not hear anymore. No one needed to know any more about the things that Dupont had done to him. His full recollection was sordid and sick. It was the reason he needed so much time to put his head back on straight. There were just things he never wanted his SRU family to know. EVER.

He stepped out from behind the shield and yelled "SHUT THE HELL UP YOU SICK PERVERTED BASTARD!" cutting off whatever Dupont was going to say.

Dupont laughed. He did it. He did it. He got the reaction he was waiting for. Sure he could go into solitary but eventually they would put him back with the general population and if it wasn't Sigurd it would be someone else. If it wasn't Big Bubba, Torun or Gejza it would be many other inmates.

He could not live like this. Dupont pushed Brisa over and stepped to the right.

Jules called out "No joy. No joy."

Ed moved to cover Sam at the same time as Dupont said "Thanks for being my first boy, my favorite one. See you in hell brat" and started to raise the gun pointing at Sam.

Sam could not believe he had just played into Dupont's hand. He let him get an emotional reaction out of him. Sam started to dive back towards cover behind Ed as he saw the gun come up towards him.

Ed saw the gun come up towards Sam. He saw Sam starting to move toward him. They were slower than a bullet. Even with both of them moving towards each other would not get to cover in time. Dupont was an excellent shot. Ed had to fire he had no choice.

Wordy saw what was happening and that Sam would not make cover in time. He threw his shield just in front of Sam.

Both guns fired. Ed's a split second before Dupont.

Ed's bullet found its mark between Dupont's eyes.

Sam was in mid-dive to cover as he closed his eyes waiting for the ripping burn of a bullet. Instead he heard a ping followed by a loud clank. As he hit the ground Wordy's shield clattered to the floor in front of him.

There was no sound in the room for a few seconds. It was followed heavy breathing.

Sam lay there his eyes going from the shield to Ed to Dupont. Round and round as he processed what had just happened. Shit he had screwed up and now Dupont was dead. SIU was gonna have a field day over this one.

He watched as Ed looked down at him. Ed's expression was inscrutable. Sam knew Ed knew he had screwed up and it cost someone his life. His actions resulted in Ed having to take a life. Shit.

Sorry would not cut it. He would say it but it was not enough. Sam opened his mouth to speak but Ed shook his head.

Ed looked at Sam. He could see in Sam's eyes he knew he screwed up. But then he and Greg knew this was not the best thing to do. They had chosen to put Sam in that position even after Sam had been honest with them and told them no but he would try. Sam had done well until Dupont touched a deep trigger for Sam.

He shook his head when Sam looked like he was about to speak. Sam stopped but maintained eye contact with him. Ed crouched down "I'm sorry we put you in that situation Sam." He held out a hand. Sam took it and they both rose.

Sam looked at Wordy. With his quick thinking he had just saved his life "Thank you."

"No thanks necessary Sam. You have saved my butt so many times it is not funny. I'm just glad it worked." Wordy said. Wordy didn't bother to ask if Sam was okay. It was clear as day Sam was beating himself up over his action.

Greg called out "Winnie let the Warden know we are secure and to get medical staff here now for the injured inmate."

Brisa had watched as Dupont fell. For a split second she stayed still then moved forward to secure the weapons. She looked at Greg with wide eyes. She had never been in something this intense before. Becoming a florist seemed like a very good idea right now.

Guards flooded in taking control of the inmates. Medical staff rushed in to help Zhang.

Greg moved forward to Brisa. With a soft smile he asked "Are you okay?"

She drew in a shaky breath "Yes Sir. Thank you. Thank all of you." She saw the medical staff starting to head out with Zhang and she stopped them. Looking at Zhang she said "Thank you too."

Zhang grinned "Just glad I could finally do something right and good for once in my life."

Spike and Jules arrived in the room and went directly to Sam who was looking a bit dazed watching Zhang speak to Brisa.

The medical staff started to push Zhang away but he saw Sam and Spike and Zhang called out "I'm sorry. I'm gonna be a better person. Life is better without Master even if I'm in prison. I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm really sorry. I'm glad you both lived."

Sam and Spike watched Zhang be pushed out. Then they looked at each other with a look of 'did he just say that?'

Spike spoke first and asked "You good?"

"Yeah I'm okay. You?" Sam responded still a little stunned by Zhang's words.

Spike shook his head no like he couldn't believe the words but answered "Yeah. All I can say in weird twists of fate, weird twists of fate. Whoa."

Jules heard Zhang's words, looked at Brisa then looked at the sheet covering Dupont. She blinked several times then said "Geez, no one could have ever predicted something like this."

Spike nodded his eyes still looking incredulous "Weird twists of fate."

They all watched as SIU came in and took Ed's guns.

Ed nodded to Greg just before he headed off with SIU.

Greg saw him leaving and called out "I'll be there shortly Ed."

Then Greg looked at the team "Team, head back to the barn. Do your paperwork but we will debrief tomorrow."

* * *

 _ **Toronto East Detention Centre – Outside Cell Block A**_

As they started to leave Greg said "Sam hold up a moment."

Sam stopped. Greg muted his headset and motioned for Sam to do the same. Sam did so and waited. He knew he screwed up big time. Sam wondered what he was going to say.

Greg motioned for them to step to the side just outside the cell block. Then he said with softness "I understand Dupont must have hit something deeply emotional. We are human Sam. We make mistakes. I made a mistake today. I put you in a bad situation."

Sam started to interject but Greg stopped him "No Sam. Not everything is your fault. The fault is mine as Sergeant. You were honest with me that you may not be able to handle this. That is all I ask of you. It is I who chose to take a risk. The choice was mine to put you there. Dupont knew what to say to get what he wanted. We all hoped to end this differently but we all knew what he wanted too. He wanted to die."

Greg put his hand on Sam's heart "In here you know you did your best. You are not a robot. You have feelings. You did your best to connect, respect and protect him despite of all he has done to you."

He moved his hand to Sam's head "In here I want you to process and understand it was not your fault. Not any of it. Dupont's decisions all the way led to his end. Dupont just didn't want to live. He was beyond our help. If he did not provoke you he would have found another way. He might have even killed Brisa to get what he wanted."

Putting both hands on Sam's shoulders Greg smiled warmly "Tonight I want you to rest. Sort things out like you do. Tomorrow is a new day. It's time to put these trials and tribulations behind you and move forward."

Sam nodded "Copy that."

 _._

* * *

 _ **AN:**_ _Hope you enjoyed the journey and spending time in my FP world. If this is the first story of mine you have read and liked my style, check out my profile page for details on my other FP stories if interested._

 _ **Reviews are very much appreciated.**_ _It's always nice to know if you enjoyed the story. Would love to hear what you liked or didn't like in this story to help guide me in future ones._


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